In Your Eyes
by thefiresensei
Summary: Skylor has been overwhelmed by some kind of mysterious power. Kai and the other ninja are forced to fight her and then try to work out how to help the newest member of their team, with some devastating consequences all round. My third story, takes place after The List and An Involuntary Break. Set after Season 9 so contains spoilers.
1. His Eyes

**Hello and welcome to my third fanfiction! This chapter is more of a prologue so is short. The story picks up from the last chapter of _The List,_ my previous story to this, but if you have not read it or _An Involuntary Break_ you should be able to get the gist of the story, but you might want to read them first! Takes place after Season 9 so will contain spoilers. **

**_His Eyes._**

His eyes were brown. A deep, warm chocolate brown, the exact same shade as his mom's, Maya's. But the fierce amber specks which encircled his dark pupils were inherited from his dad, Ray, the mark having been passed down to Ray from his own dad, Kai's grandad. The mark which the inherited elemental powers left on the masters of fire. Always present, burning in the background at all times and swirling dangerously when the fire was stoked.

As they were right now.

With virtually no brown left in those irises, glowing as they flashed at his captor treacherously as he looked directly into her eyes, unblinking and unafraid.

"This is not you. I refuse to believe this is you, Skylor." Kai leant forward, straining against the vengestone chains cuffing him to the heavy factory machinery in the dark, abandoned warehouse in which she had somehow managed to get him.

"Oh Kai, Kai, Kai… You're going to do yourself a damage pulling yourself about like that."

It was true, his wrists were bleeding from where he had been thrashing against the cursed metal binding them as soon as he regained consciousness and found himself here. And he had lost the feelings in his legs a long while ago, which were also bound together and folded uncomfortably underneath him as he knelt on the cold, gritty concrete floor. The colour of his white kimono, the Wu Cru outfit Nya had wanted them all to wear... was definitely not white anymore.

 _Eurgh!_ The frustrated growl vibrated across him as he yanked against the chains once again, willing the fire raging inside him to release. But it was futile whilst in these cuffs… She crouched down in front of him, bringing herself to his level and looking him directly in the eye. He had to bite his lip as he saw those dark, glinting purple swirls in her eyes, overtaking the green which he knew should be there. The deep, beautiful green which he loved. And he had to look away, looking away from the malice he could see controlling her and hoping she could not see the pain now welling inside him.

"Oh, can't you look at me now?" Her tone was mocking, filled with contempt. "You couldn't take your eyes away not so long ago…"

He spun his head back to view her, his eyes blinking hard as he tried to push back the memories of his sister's wedding which already felt so long ago but was only… was it yesterday? The day before? He had lost all track of time since he had been dragged into the warehouse.

"Skylor. You are still in there. Fight this." Straining forward in his chains again, nose nearly touching hers as he urgently hissed the words out. She blinked, but the hard, cold purple stayed, unwaveringly. And her callous laughter nearly broke him as she stood up.

But he was not expecting the hard kick she aimed expertly at his ribs, causing him to buckle and gasp, spitting out blood when his body finally allowed breath back into his stinging lungs.

"Kai, Kai, Kai… Let's just see how long it takes for your beloved ninja family to come and find you, eh?" and she chuckled as she sauntered away.


	2. Lost

**Thank you to all of you who have favourited, followed and left reviews! They all mean so much! A little bit of plot building before we return to Kai...**

* * *

 _ **Lost**_

It pained Lloyd to think of how long it had taken them to realise that something was wrong, very wrong. The wedding had been fantastic, everything had gone so smoothly and Jay and Nya had had the time of their lives. But at some point after the whole team had come together on the dancefloor and totally nailed the Cha Cha Slide to the delight of all the guests, Kai and Skylor had gone missing. At first no one had batted an eyelid; they were young, totally loved up and no doubt had snuck off somewhere for some privacy. But when it came to the time for the speeches and no one could find either of the ninja couple anywhere, that's when they knew. Kai had spent hours perfecting his speech, and there was no way he would miss an opportunity like this to embarrass Jay. And Nya meant so much to Kai... Lloyd sighed. Kai just would not do this to her. Once he had realised he could not find his red clad brother Lloyd had gathered the rest of the team to him, trying to be discreet and not let the newly weds know that there seemed to be a problem as they split up and turned over every inch of the old Temple of Airjitzu. But it was difficult to keep anything from Nya, especially if it concerned her brother, they just seemed to have this sixth sense with each other sometimes. Lloyd sighed again as he recalled the haunting look on her face when he had finally cracked and given into her demands to know where her brother was and what was going on, Jay having to hold her upright as she collapsed into him. And they still didn't know where either of them were…

"Dammit!" He banged his fist on the table top, sending the map of Ninjago and scraps of notes onto the floor and waking Cole from his slumber, head having fallen onto his folded arms where he had slumped at the other end of the table, now eyeing him heavily from under unruly wisps of his dark hair.

"Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, time may be fraught but there is never cause for profanity." Lloyd's uncle, silhouetted by the rising sun at his back, turned to look at the green ninja from where he stood at the window of the small mission room they had set up on the first floor of the temple. None of them felt it would have been a good idea to leave for the monastery yet, not wanting to miss any clues as to the whereabouts of the missing masters of fire and amber.

Lloyd bowed his head, "Sorry Sensei." Rising wearily to his feet he picked up the map and squeezed Coles shoulder.

"This is just ridiculous. How can they have just disappeared like this? Especially Kai?"

Cole sighed heavily, rubbing at his eyes and then gazing out of the window, mentally kicking himself for having given into slumber; there were far more important things to be doing rather than sleeping right now!

"We're missing something, Cole. Maybe we are looking at this all wrong." Cole raised an eyebrow at Lloyd as he turned to look at him.

"Go on." Cole's voice was thick with sleep, but his dark eyes were bright and listening. Lloyd walked back over to the table, his own green eyes hooded with tiredness but also burning bright.

"Let's get everyone up and then go back through what we know, and then try to think of some different angles."

"A wise decision, Lloyd. A wise decision." Wu continued to look out of the window, absentmindedly running a hand down his beard. "I'll ask Zane to make everyone some breakfast. You need to eat and keep yourselves vigorous, even more so in the face of peril." Their sensei turned and made his way to the lounge where the other ninja had fallen into restless sleep.

* * *

"Ok, so we all saw them last on the dancefloor around 7pm." Lloyd looked around and met the eyes of each ninja, pausing slightly longer at Nya's red rimmed eyes and biting his lip. They had all picked at the breakfast Zane had made, and although he did not want to eat he had to admit he did feel slightly better now he had some substance inside him. He took a sip of his coffee, then looked up at his team. Sorely incomplete...

"And that was it?"

"We've been through this Lloyd. None of us saw them after that." Jay huffed and shifted his arm around Nya, trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Jay, I'm just trying to make sure we haven't missed anything." Lloyd paused and took a breath.

"We have all assumed that they have been taken against their will, but there's been no sign of any struggle. Surely Kai would have used his powers, and we know he is probably the best hand to hand fighter amongst us,"

Cole gave a soft snort, "Don't tell him that when we find them!" The others raised small smiles.

"Yeah, well… but that makes it even stranger that we have not found anything. And we all know that Skylor's not exactly weak, she's a solid fighter in her own right. And with her multiple powers, she's incredibly strong. If there was a fight surely we would have found evidence of it?"

Zane looked up, "Which would lead to the conclusion that there was no struggle."

"Exactly." Lloyd breathed.

Nya sat up, shrugging away from Jay. "They were drugged?" her eyes were wide and hardening.

"I don't believe so Nya, we would still have seen evidence of their being dragged out, and their being carried would surely have been spotted by one of us or a guest." Zane stood and put a reassuring hand on Nya's shoulder.

"So what, then?" Jay frowned, his hands went up and his voice rose in pitch. "People do not just vanish into thin air!"

"They must have left of their own accord. For some reason, without struggle." Lloyd met Zane's gaze, who nodded in agreement.

"I would also ascertain this conclusion. They either both left of their own accord, or…" Zane's voice trailed off.

"Go on Zane. Don't sugar coat anything for me, you know I won't stand for it." That Smith spirit was awakening in Nya as she turned her eyes unblinking up to the nindroid.

He frowned and continued. "…unless one of them persuaded the other to leave without fight."

"Zane what the heck are you saying?" Cole's eyes were now hardening. "Kai would never leave Nya's wedding without extremely good reason. And Skylor is one of us, she,"

"Possesses mind control." Lloyd softly butted in.

"But why would Skylor get Kai to leave? And to just disappear like this? It's been two days Lloyd…" Nya sobbed again, burying her head into Jay's shoulder, who looked up to the green ninja who was running a hand through his blond mop of hair, bright green eyes blinking and unseeing, deep in thought.

"Lloyd, why would she do that?"

Zane shifted and answered. "We do not yet know her motives, but at the present time this is our best conclusion; that Skylor has used her powers to take Kai somewhere unknown. We have to accept the possibility that Skylor has kidnapped Kai."

The ninja team looked around at each other, in various states of disbelief.

"Well, there is our different angle of approach…" Lloyd muttered softly, shaking his head, thinking to himself _I hope it's not true, but what if it is…?_


	3. Memories

**Thank you so much to everyone who has favourited and followed, and I so love reading your reviews! RandomDragon2.0 you might be right, you might not be... he he!**

 **Warning** **– this chapter contains torture, poor Kai is about to go through it…**

 **Oh and the little photo I refer to is the one you can see on the Bounty in one of the episodes in Sons of Garmadon, I can't remember which it is though, but I thought it was cute!**

* * *

 ** _Memories_**

 _The music was far too loud, but he really didn't care as he twirled and twisted around in the control room of the Bounty, dancing and singing along as he cleaned up. Being careful not to move any of the dials or push any of the buttons as he dusted, not wanting to set off a false alarm. Again… He eyed the chess board in the corner, the pieces left strategically on the little chequered base; Zane and Jay must be half way through another game. A sly smirk crossed over Kai's face as he craftily swapped a couple of pieces around. Then sighed as he spotted the giant pile of paperwork which had been shoved into the corner. A regular little dumping ground for him to sort out…_

 _"_ _Kai."_

 _"_ _Kai!"_

 _"_ _KAI!"_

 _The Master of Fire near enough jumped out of his skin, dropping all of the paperwork he had moved as Zane shouted his name, struggling to be heard over the music._

 _"_ _Urgh!" Kai bent over, scrabbling together the scattered documents, photos and letters which appeared to have been dumped unceremoniously in the pile for what appeared to be far too long. Hmm, some of these looked like bills…_

 _"_ _Kai this music is too loud. You will damage your eardrums." Zane looked at him as he passed over the last of the escaped papers from the floor, shaking his head in amusement._

 _Reaching over Kai turned the volume down a touch on the little Bluetooth speaker, sweeping the screen on his BorgPhone to check for any notifications as he did so._

 _"_ _Sorry Tincan." He shuffled through the papers, putting the adhoc collection into quick piles. Bill, bill, letter for Nya, some random little drawing Jay had probably done with the pink crayon which had just rolled out of the pile…_

 _"_ _Oh!" He stopped, putting the pile down as he studied the photo closer, a small smile creeping across his face and a softness taking over his eyes. Zane ambled closer, looking over Kai's shoulder curiously._

 _"_ _You should go and visit her when we dock at Ninjago City next. My sensors indicate a strong compatibility between the two of you, maybe a little tempestuous at times with you both being such strong characters, but a good match none the less."_

 _"_ _Of course! No one can resist these charms!" Zane took in the brash tone but took more note of the subtle flush across his brother's face, and the softness in his brown eyes._

 _"_ _How long has it been since you last saw her?"_

 _Kai sighed. "Too long." Impulsively he grabbed the crayon and drew a heart around the red head who had entranced him since the moment he had first seen her. No one he had met since compared to her, but things just kept happening and getting in the way of trying to sort something out with the Master of Amber. Kai stole a piece of blutac off the back of the photo of the Garmadons, using it to hang Skylor's photo underneath it on the side of the main control panel, above a picture of Dareth and some of the team goofing off together._

 _"_ _I'm sure it will work out brother." Zane squeezed the red shoulder as he turned and walked back out of the control room. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."_

 _"_ _Thanks." Kai answered quietly, still looking at the photo. Taking in the smiling face, gleaming red hair and sparkling, deep green eyes. He touched a hand gently to the photo, turning away._

 _"_ _I hope so."_

* * *

Through bruised and swollen eyes Kai could just about make out that same gleaming red hair, reflecting the dim sunlight which managed to sneak through the gaps in the wood panels which had been nailed over the windows. He blew out a shaky, rattily breathe, trying to blow away the last of that memory which had hit him like a tonne of bricks. His arms and legs felt like they were on fire, still being bound tightly in the vengestone cuffs. The irony was not lost on him, and a fleeting smile passed over him as he wished his arms were indeed on fire…

"Something amusing you, ninja?" Skylor was coming back over to his weakened body, raising an eyebrow and studying the filthy white clad red ninja carefully. He followed her with his eyes but was having obvious difficulty moving his neck to keep track of her, his movements being jerky and small, sharp hisses of pain giving away his discomfort.

She crouched back in front of him and reached a hand up to brush several matted spikes back up from his face. He narrowed his eyes and tried to back away, but it was futile.

"Oh Kai, baby, sweetie, honey…" she smirked and reached further into his hair, ruffling it. He grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh, but you used to like this… do you remember that time, laying in the grass outside the monastery when I had made us a picnic…? You liked this then." Kai screwed up his face and tried to stop the memory surfacing fully. She was trying to play mind games, and he was not going to allow it to work.

"I liked it when _Skylor_ did it. _You_ are _not_ _Skylor_." She jumped back as the red ninja threw himself against his chains at her, spitting the words at her. Regaining her composure in a split second she leaned into Kai's furious face, widened her eyes and smiled at him, all sweetness and charm but he could still see those purple, glittering swirls.

"Oh don't you worry Kai, she's still here." Standing, she patted him on the cheek, Kai flinching at the touch.

"Deep, deep down, somewhere…"

And then he could have cried as she leant down and kissed him on his lips, cold and hard. He refused to close his eyes or give in to her mind games, and stayed perfectly still, his own mouth clamped resolutely shut, unblinking and trying with all his will to ignore her. She laughed as she straightened back up, seeing the flickering amber in his eyes betraying his emotion. But what she did next took him by surprise and left him reeling against his chains.

She swooped back down, briefly tracing the scar running across his right eye before stopping and lifting his chin to look into her eyes. Then she plunged her fingers into the open wound above his left eyebrow, making him gasp as white-hot pain shot through him. She twisted, stretching the wound, blood running into his eye. Kai blinked rapidly, trying to both clear the blood and keep the swirling stars at the edges of this vision from taking over, the adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he twisted and pulled against his chains. But as she pushed in again he couldn't help it, screaming as he blacked out.

Skylor stood back up, wiped the blood from her hand onto the slumped ninja's arm and walked away, humming softly. Just before she reached the make shift seating area across from her prisoner's area, she looked up, into the tall old building's exposed steel rafters.

"Zane, PIXAL. I know you are up there. Tell your beloved green ninja that he needs to hurry up and make his move. We are waiting for him."

The two nindroids looked at each other and quickly somersaulted from their hiding places to the broken skylight. Zane paused, looking down at the nonchalant Master of Amber.

"We will find out what has happened to Skylor. And we will bring you to justice, we always do."

Skylor laughed, not looking up.

"Oh, we are counting on it."


	4. Regroup

**I'm blown away by the new followers etc to my little ol fanfic! Hello to you all *waves slightly manically!**

 **Masters of Fire and Amber and RandomDragon2.0 - I know right, makes me a bit emotional writing it! I feel there's definitely going to be some hard hitting stuff coming out as the story progresses...**

 **Jaell - thank you so, so much! It still amazes me that other people actually seem to like my babbling stories :)**

 **Well let's catch up with those ninja...**

* * *

 **Regroup.**

"You just left him there?! How could you!"

Zane flinched, not from the strong blows Nya was throwing his way but from her tone. Disbelieving, uncondoning and sharpened by her utter grief and despair. Cole threw himself in-between the nindroid and his quite frankly scary little sister, Jay and Lloyd grabbing hold of her shoulders and wresting her away. Nya threw them both off her and fell to the floor of the canteen in the disused school building where they had hastily regrouped as soon as PIXAL had sent the signal to them all that they had found them.

 _They had found them!_

Deep, racking sobs shook her body. They stood helplessly watching her, Jay trying to rub her back soothingly.

"Zane, can you show us?" Lloyd's voice was soft, quiet but commanding, and the titanium ninja nodded, but his eyes flicked over to the distraught water ninja.

"Nya might not want to see this." She looked up, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her gi and standing up, leaning on Jay.

"No, I have to see this. I need to see what she's done to him!"

Zane looked to Lloyd who nodded his affirmation, his eyes flickering and then projecting onto the cracked canteen wall what looked like a dark, eerily quiet factory, large industrial machinery coated in thick dust, viewed from inside the rafters of the building. They could just make out a figure in a dark, coppery brown outfit leaning on one of the machinery conveyer belts, and a hunched shape against the wall. They all gasped as Zane's camera focused and sharpened the hazy shape, revealing Kai, hair unrecognisable from its usually spiked crowning glory but now knotted, tangled and hanging over his face. They could see the chains holding him tightly to the wall with what looked to be vengestone cuffs covered with dried, caked blood around them and down the ripped sleeves of what had once been his white ceremonial Wu Cru outfit. Zane's camera panned in again to Kai's face, Nya reaching up to touch the projected cheek of her barely conscious brother, who was blinking hard, eyes looking distant. They saw a small, more familiar smile cross those eyes and then witnessed a rather pained exhale from the shackled ninja.

"I would ascertain that Kai has several broken ribs, amongst other injuries he has sustained." Zane quietly interjected as his camera panned back out to show Skylor's sudden movement over to her captive.

They all gasped and winced as she started to speak, obviously trying to mentally torture their brother. When Skylor reached over and pushed her hand into Kai's wound above his eyebrow, which they had been trying for months to get to heal, Nya had to look away, feeling bile rising and burning at her throat. Cole lightly whistled as he exhaled, looking to Lloyd who watched with a determined look on his face, not looking away and not blinking.

 _"_ _Zane, PIXAL. I know you are up there. Tell your beloved green ninja that he needs to hurry up and make his move. We are waiting for him."_

They all looked at each other at that, silently taking in the words and each trying to let the reality of the situation sink in. Zane switched the projector off and turned to face his fellow ninja, stopping his light blue eyes on Nya's deeper blue ones.

"I am sorry Nya, but Kai is not in a position to be able to fight alongside us at this time, and Skylor is a formidable opponent. I could not risk Kai's safety by trying to retrieve him alone with PIXAL; this is going to require the whole team and strategic planning." PIXAL placed a reassuring hand on his arm, and he placed his hand on top of hers, still holding the Master of Water's gaze.

"No, I am sorry Zane. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that."

Zane nodded, turning to Lloyd.

"What are your thoughts?"

Vibrant green eyes flicked up, taking in his team.

"Did you hear how she referred to herself as 'we'? _'We are waiting for him.'_ " Lloyd rubbed at his chin, biting his lip, eyes deep in thought.

"She's working with someone."

"Or someone is controlling her, if she is indeed Skylor…" Cole interjected, folding his arms and grimacing.

Jay stood upright, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"But who else could she be?! She looks and sounds just like Skylor, and she…" he stopped at Lloyd's raised eyebrow realisation dawning over his face.

"Are they really that good at, you know… that… shape shifting malarkey?" The Master of Lightening looked to Lloyd and Nya, finally looking to Zane for help.

"I do not know Jay. If it is oni you are referring to, Lloyd, Nya and PIXAL are the only ones currently present who have seen one transform."

Lloyd silently nodded, remembering Mistake and all that she could do. Nya softly blew out a "yes", placing her hand on her husband's arm to calm him. PIXAL quietly nodded.

"Oh." The blue ninja, momentarily stunned into silence, looked down at his feet, then looked at his wife _his beautiful wife_ and then over to his master, farrowing his brows together.

"We _have_ to rescue him Lloyd. We can't leave him with her, whoever or whatever she is!"

Lloyd straightened, looking Jay in the eye.

"I know. And we will. Tonight."

"Then may I suggest we make our way back to the temple to draw up an appropriate plan?" They all nodded to the Master of Ice, turning and leaving the derelict school quickly and finally with stealthy purpose.

* * *

 _"_ _He's upstairs in his room, says he's too tired to come down anytime soon..." Cole's deeper droll rang out._

 _"_ _Too lazy more like," Jay interjected, "Although I'm sure he'll soon perk up if you make your way up!"_

 _Kai had awoken properly at Jay's shrill voice and he could hear her footsteps tentatively coming up the stairs now. He smiled to himself. He had replied to her text saying he was too tired to leave his bed and was having a stupendously lazy Sunday morning. And it was true, he was just about done in after some of Wu's finest training exercises which their Sensei had relentlessly thrown at the ninja this week, not to mention throwing several new sword kata's at Kai that he wanted him to master on top of their usual programme. Kai was whacked._

 _But as his door slid open and she popped her beautiful face around the door he couldn't help but grin, sleepy as he was. She returned the grin, head floating bodilessly around the door, shining red hair cascading around her..._

 _"_ _So then Master of Fire, or should it be Master of Slothliness, can I come into your humble slumber pit? I have brought supplies for a rather, what was it now,_ stupendously lazy Sunday morning _…" an arm now entered the doorway, waving a bulging bag stuffed with DVDs and popcorn, amongst other indistinguishable shapes._

 _He lifted himself up from his comfy pillow laden slumber pit, scooting over and patting the side of the bed as a yawn escaped him._

 _"_ _There's always room for one particularly beautiful red head in this humble slumber pit." Skylor slid into the room gracefully, depositing the bag at the bottom of the bed and clambering in next to him, laying down on her side and gazing into his eyes. He reached over and drew her closer to him, throwing the duvet over them both so it completely enveloped them, breathing her in and drawing her in for a kiss. Deep and sensuous…_

 _"_ _Hmm…I might just close this door…"_

 _They both smiled into each other's mouths as Lloyd not so discretely closed the bedroom door, whistling as he made his way down the stairs. They didn't part from each other for quite some time…_

Urgh! His memories were clear, but his reality was not. Stupid, stupid brain was quite happy to keep replaying these moments but refused to focus on what he needed. He tried to follow her shapes as she walked about the room, around the machinery, talking to someone on her phone? He strained to listen, but it was all too hazy, too distorted by the blood pounding in his ears. Aargh, his throat felt like sandpaper. When was the last time he ate? Blinking hard to try and focus his eyes, he couldn't keep his head upright long enough to keep track of where she was. His whole body just felt too heavy. Blinking hard he suddenly made out two blurry feet shapes stood right in front of him. He braced himself as best he could, but his reflexes were too slow, just too tired… and so it started again.

Pain.

Agonising and slow.

Mental and physical.

Caged fire burning him from within, the pressure and heat building with no release.

How much more could he withstand? What was taking them so long...


	5. One Step Forward

**You guys are amazing! So many views etc, yay and thank you for reading! Thank you for the _amazing_ reviews, I so love reading them :) SpiritDragon437 I'm loving your theories, maybe we will find out soon what exactly is going on! **

**Enjoy, please feel free to give me constructive criticism, I'm still very new to this writing malarkey although I love it! I just want to get better :)**

* * *

 **One step forward…**

They knew she would be expecting them, but they all agreed that trying for some form of stealth was still the best way to try and retract Kai from the whole sorry situation. They also agreed that they could not afford to wait any longer, and they would act that night. Nya stayed back in the monastery, arguing she was too emotionally involved and did not want her emotions to cloud her vision on the "front line" and jeopardise the mission, so she stayed and monitored the situation, coordinating the boys with the help of PIXAL.

Zane had already quietly iced the locks to the main doors and broken them, but they did not plan to enter through them. This was only so that they could use them if they needed a quick getaway. He melded himself back into the shadows around the doors, signalling silently to PIXAL that he was done, which she relayed to Lloyd and Jay as they waited patiently on the roof of the warehouse.

Zane had warned them to _"Be careful where you step, parts of the roof tiles are decaying and falling away_ ", and he wasn't wrong. Lloyd looked around him dismally, taking in the large, treacherous holes and the slippery vegetation growing in the various cracks and crevices. Skylor had picked a good spot for… Lloyd stopped himself, not wanting to think about what she had been doing to his brother. The fabric of his gi being tugged roused the Green Ninja's attention, and he followed Jay's silent but frantic eye rolling. He leaned into the skylight carefully, seeing Skylor's red hair swinging into view as she stalked over to what appeared to be her makeshift seating area, throwing herself onto a chair which looked to have been dragged over from the factory office. Propping her feet up the conveyer belt which ran next to her, she crossed her arms and started to hum, leaning back and looking like she didn't have a care in the world. They could just make out Kai's slumped form still shackled to the far wall, unmoving. Zane had assured them Kai was alive, in a bad way but definitely alive. But from here he certainly did not look that way, his clothing matted and caked with a mixture of dried and fresh blood; when you listened closely you could just make out his laboured, raspy breaths.

"Surely she's going to need to go elsewhere at some point? You know, the bathroom or something?" Jay had a point, but he had a feeling Skylor was just waiting for them, like a tiger patiently watching its prey before it pounced.

"Ok Cole, I think we're ready." Lloyd whispered into his com link.

"Ready that." The Earth Ninja whispered back. "Ready" Zane seconded.

Almost immediately they heard the dull crack of the scythe slamming into the ground behind the factory, with the sheer force only the Master of Earth could muster. The two roof bound ninjas held on to the slippery tiles around them as the building responded, shaking and juddering dangerously. It was enough to bring Skylor to her feet, as they had hoped, although she had not left, stretching her body into a long defensive stance and eying the main factory doors suspiciously. Kai had lifted his head slightly, but the exertion was obviously too much as he soon let it hang again. _5, 4 ,3, 2…_ Lloyd counted in his head.

Zane's arrow came crashing through the window nearest to Skylor's little seating area, showering the chair with shattered glass. The burst of ice swiftly followed making both Lloyd and Jay jump, even though they were expecting it, and freezing the floor surrounding the Master of Amber. Cole following right on cue with another earth-shaking rumble, this time coming from slightly further around the building. Skylor was whirling, unsure which direction to face but still defensive and dangerously powerful. Another shot of ice came through, taking her attention and giving the blue and green ninjas the momentary distraction needed to jump through from the skylight, landing solidly on their feet and taking on their own defensive stances.

She spun immediately to face them, eyes blazing. "Finally, Lloyd and his little ninja nerd team." She gestured at the Green Ninja, smirking cruelly.

"Go to him Jay." Lloyd did not take his eyes off her.

Not needing to be told twice the Blue Ninja leapt over to Kai, unable to hold in a gasp as he reached the semi-conscious Master of Fire, fully taking in his injuries. Zane kicked his way through the window, landing the other side of Skylor, echoing Lloyd's stance.

"I do not want to fight you Skylor. Just tell us what has happened to you, and we can help. We can find a way."

She laughed, head thrown back and eyes glinting dangerously, red hair swinging behind her.

"Have you still not learned Lloyd? Your compassion is your weakness. Always has been and always will be." Without warning she turned, moving with a speed which could only have come from another master, performing a series of roundhouse kicks on the surprised nindroid. Skylor snarled in determination as she knocked Zane onto his back then directed a devastating shock of electricity into his chest, short circuiting the Master of Ice out of action. All executed before Lloyd could even move out of his stance to help his fallen comrade…

"Hey! You do not use my powers against my friends!" Jay had risen from where he had been propping the now unshackled but still very much unresponsive fire ninja against the wall, quickly bringing himself alongside Lloyd and taking his nunchucks out, directing his own electricity into them as he spun them above his head.

Skylor just laughed, a deep, foreboding laugh as she turned to her two adversaries.

"Who are you?" Lloyd hissed, holding her gaze.

"I don't care who she is, but she is not Skylor and she _does not get away with what she just did!"_ Ignoring Nya's pleas in his com to _please stop_ , Jay lent forward, directing his nunchucks towards the red head, Lloyd unable to stop him before she raised her arms and met the lightening strike with a surge of water, drenching the blue ninja and causing him to send electricity chasing through his body. Jay shook and fell to the floor, leaving just the Green Ninja and Skylor facing each other, one grinning mockingly and the other determined.

"Who are you?" Lloyd reached for his katana, the two circling each other, unblinking and sizing each other up.

"You know me."

"Are you oni?"

She laughed, a cold, heartless laugh as she reached back for her own sword.

"You know who I am." Then she charged.

Lloyd's face was rigid with restraint, moving back as he parried Skylor's relentless blows. He did not want to hurt her; she was one of them, new to the team, yes, but one of the team never-the-less. And she was so much more to his brother who was lying broken on the floor behind them with the currently stunned and incapacitated Master of Lightening. He gasped as she pushed forward at him harder and with such ferocity. He had only seen such hatred in one other person, at one other time…

The lapse in concentration cost him. She saw her chance and moved around him so fast she was a blur, red hair flying up around her as she spun and kicked Lloyd hard in his abdomen, knocking him flat and spinning his katana away from him. The clash of the metal as it hit the machinery at the other side of the room resounded and echoed around them. His green eyes flickered and glowed as he knew what he had to do, as regretful as it was. Pushing his hands out and forcing his body to lithely spring back up onto his feet, Lloyd sprinted to the wall to his left, not stopping as he reached it, using his momentum to help shift his body weight he ran part way up towards the rafters then pushed off, somersaulting and landing neatly on his feet behind the Master of Amber, hands beginning to conjure the green energy he was being forced to use as he took an attack stance.

But she was too fast.

She had already turned and had her own hands raised, filled with the burning fire power she had absorbed from his brother. The red ninja. The Master of Fire. More than her boyfriend; her partner. She raised her hands and threw everything she had at the Master of Energy, engulfing him in flames.


	6. Torn Universe

**I am blown away by the number of views and reviews from my last chapter and for this whole little story - thank you to every single one of you.**

 **I'll just let you all get to the good bit now - enjoy!**

* * *

 **Torn Universe.**

 _In…_

 _…_ _and out._

 _Back in…_

 _…_ _And...ouch!_

 _Ok. Too much out, too much out! Ow, ow, ow!_

 _Slowly, Kai, slowly…_

 _…_ _and...out._

The Master of Fire didn't care much that he was struggling to keep consciousness now. In fact, his sluggish and confused mind quite welcomed the comfort of having an unconscious state; if he was unconscious then he wouldn't need to see _her._ And he would get some respite from his current world.

One filled with pain. In every sense of the word.

One filled with burning frustration building from the depths of his chest, the fire within screaming and clawing for release, causing him to crush his fists together so tightly he had drawn blood in his palms.

One where every breath was becoming more and more of a laborious effort. And if he concentrated on just breathing _in…and out…_ his mind would not wander as much, torturing him with his thoughts.

So the Master of Fire kept his eyes tightly shut, trying to keep his unsteady focus on his shallow, raspy breathes alone, giving in willingly when the stars at the edges of his vision swirled around and took back over along with the fog, slumping him back into that comforting nothingness again.

* * *

The sudden low shaking of the building roused him, his brain slow and heavy, refusing to co-operate as he tried to lift his head to see what was going on. Blinking deliberately, he could just make out that she had taken on a defensive stance… But the effort was too much and the fog came swirling back, head slumped as he blacked out again.

* * *

Desperate hands shaking him.

 _No. Get off._

Some incoherent mumbling. More shaking.

Blinking hard and trying to ignore the screaming, agonising pain in his chest, he could just make out blue.

A shape in blue. Whispering at him, looking pleadingly up into his face. Shaking him again.

 _Ok I'll try to focus. I'm trying…_

 _No._

 _Hurts too much._

 _Leave me alone!_

The fog swirled, threatening to take back over again, but just as he was about to succumb he felt a slight relief in his arms as the blue shape released them and then held onto his weak body tightly, warmly, _comfortingly._ He welcomed the surge he felt as the vengestone cuffs fell broken from his wrists, feeling the flames flicker inside of him.

Brown, amber flecked eyes inched open to meet the piercing blue eyes of the person who was holding and supporting his shattered body.

 _"…_ _we can help. We can find a way."_

 _Lloyd._

 _Lloyd… That was Lloyd!_

His brain started to kick start as he recognised his brother's voice. Blinking hard he looked into the blue eyes of the shape holding him, tears welling as he recognised Jay. _They've come!_

The sudden white-hot stabbing pain in his legs as Jay managed to release them from where they had been folded under him was indescribable, blinding him, the fog taking back over instantly. Kai's weakened body refused to stay alert, slumping into unconsciousness once more.

* * *

 _Slowly, slowly,_ _in and out again_ … blinking hard and trying to focus on the sounds around him. It was too painful to try and move, so Kai tried using his other senses to try and make head and tail of what was going on. He was lying down, on the hard concrete. He could hear slow, rhythmic breathing just across from him. A pained movement of his head towards it confirmed Jay, also lying on the ground seemingly knocked out.

Fighting. He could hear fighting. Lifting his head slightly he could see his master, falling to the ground as she kicked him, the clattering of the katana as it hit the ground sharp and echoing in his hurting head. He saw Lloyd rise with agility of a cat, lifting himself and somersaulting behind her. Despite the pain he drew in a gasp.

He knew exactly what she was capable of.

And when he saw the tiny sparks starting to ignite he knew exactly what she was about to do.

The Master of Amber, absorber and utiliser of elemental powers. Against the Green Ninja, Master of Energy.

Skylor, the woman he loved. And Lloyd. His little brother.

She was going to kill him.

 _No!_

All of the pent-up rage and aggression welled straight up in his chest, shaking and rampaging through his body as he looked at two of the people who meant the most to him in his crazy life, flames igniting the amber in his eyes. As she shot his own borrowed power out of her hands Kai countered her from where he lay, shooting his own more powerful and much more refined flames alongside them. The two combustions merged and hit each other, forming a dangerous, rolling vertical wall of flame up and around his little brother. The impact of the two colliding blazes was colossal, Lloyd staggering back but keeping his balance behind the wall of fire whilst Skylor was knocked off her feet, hitting her head on the machinery behind her with a sickening thud. She slumped to the floor where she landed, knocked out cold.

The fires raged, taking hold quickly and causing Lloyd to cough, narrowing his eyes at the Orange Ninja from behind the wall of fire which had saved his life. He ran quickly around the hot, flickering inferno to Kai, reaching over to the Red Ninja who was still laid on the floor.

"Kai?" Lloyd brushed matted spikes back out of Kai's eyes, who blinked and weakly smiled.

"Hey there buddy, we need to get you out of here." Lloyd looked around to the shapes of the fallen Titanium Ninja and Blue Ninja; Zane was going to need rebooting whilst Jay, thankfully, was starting to stir and slowly sit up, rubbing his head.

"Cole, I need you right now."

"Already on my way." Cole's urgent tones came back over Lloyd's coms. Jay groaned and limped over, helping Lloyd to hoist Kai up onto his feet.

"Jay, I've got him. Go and get Zane. Cole is on his way, we'll go out the main doors now." Jay nodded, silently making his way around the now rampant flames and over to his fellow ninja's body, with some effort managing to hoist him into a fireman's lift, staggering under the weight and tottering back to the doors, virtually crashing through them and out into the cooler night air.

"We can't just leave her there Lloyd." Kai's voice was hoarse, barely a strained whisper as he leant heavily on Lloyd's shoulder who was trying to guide him out of the building; the fire was rapidly becoming out of control.

"Kai I will come back for her as soon as…"

"No! I am not abandoning her!" Kai roared, struggling and trying to turn back towards Skylor's slumped form.

"Kai, we're not abandoning her. But I must leave her here whilst I get you out. I'm sorry, but…I will come back, I promise."

Even though his body was wrecked, having been through so much, Kai still had a hell of a fight on him, drawing energy to fight against Lloyd from FSM knows where.

"Kai…go." The soft, barely conscious voice made them both whirl round, Kai suddenly halting his fight against Lloyd's grip and turning to her. She had pushed herself up against the machinery, hair falling across her face but he could see her eyes. Her normal, deep green eyes. Which were filled with sorrow.

"Sky…" Kai reached for her, stretching against Lloyd.

"No! Go!" Both ninja's recoiled at the sudden, shouted aggression as she curled her fists and then curled into herself like a wounded, snarling animal, eyes screwed tightly shut. But when she reopened them both Lloyd and Kai clearly saw it, the flashes and swirls of that dark, menacing purple reappearing.

"This is not over Lloyd." Skylor raised her hands and conjured her energy dragon inside the warehouse, a magnificent beast, a beautiful, vibrant orange colour with scales which seemed to be iridescent, reflecting different colours as its muscles rippled as it took flight and hovered with Skylor now on its back, barely fitting under the roof of the derelict building. With each wing beat you could see the scales reflecting, reminding Kai of a rainbow of colours reflected off spilt oil on a roadside, from red hues to blues of all shades amongst other, shining tones. And an unsettling, dark purple…Kai had never seen Skylor conjure her dragon before, but he was certain he had seen this astonishing creature before, he just could not place where…

The intense heat and thick smoke from the fire caused Lloyd to cough again, narrowing his watering and stinging eyes at the Orange Ninja. She turned and spun her dragon sharply up to the ceiling, driving the beast straight through the roof and out, showering the two ninjas with broken tiles, rafters, glass and clumps of the vegetation which had been growing. Lloyd managed to shield them both quickly with his green energy, still clutching desperately onto Kai's waist, supporting his once again flagging weight.

"Time to go!" Lloyd quickly pushed against his brother's body, thankfully now no longer resisting and allowing his master to bundle him out of the factory building which now more closely resembled a collapsing furnace. He placed Kai onto the cold street against a wall, next to Jay who had his head in his hands and the still down Zane.

"Where are you Cole?" Lloyd shouting into his com, sighing as he received a crackled "20 seconds!" back. Lloyd turned and gazed forlornly at his fallen crew, jumping as Nya crackled in his ear.

"Do you have him?"

He sighed, looking at her brother who had sunk down onto the pavement, arms laying limply by his sides and staring unseeingly at his feet.

"Lloyd…?"

The rumble of Cole finally arriving in Nya's newly refurbed battle tank snapped him out of his daze.

"Yes." He heard her happy intake of breath, thinking to himself _but only part of him._


	7. Purple

**Hello to all you lovely lot! It's time for our next little instalment.**

 **Don't worry Jaell, still plenty of life in this story! It's only just really getting going... he he!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Purple.**

Lloyd's mop of blonde hair framed his features as he stared down into Kai's barely conscious face, green eyes filled with concern as Cole jerked the tank over yet another bump a little too fast, causing the fire ninja to grimace and screw his eyes shut.

"Sorry!" the earth ninja called out from the driver's seat, followed by a rushed "brace yourselves!" as the armoured monstrosity careered over more debris. Ninjago city was still a mess in some areas, particularly the poorer districts like the one where Skylor had taken Kai and held him. Lloyd cursed under his breath and leant over his brother's fragile body, trying to keep Kai as still as possible where he had lain him on the floor of the tank. Jay was trying to do the same to Zane, and the two met each other's gaze as they bounced and rocked precariously over what must have been a particularly large pile of fallen and destroyed building.

"Jeez Cole, could you try and take it just a little steadier? We're getting thrown around like ragdolls in a kindergarten back here!" Jay squealed as he hit his head on the low roof of the tank, rubbing it furiously then grabbing Zane's arm as he started to slide about on the floor again.

Cole turned momentarily, shooting a look of disbelief at the blue ninja. "You want to come and take over, Zaptrap? I'm doing my best!"

Lloyd reached over, putting a hand on Jay's arm before he could retort. "We'll be clear of the city soon, Jay. Then it's straight up to the monastery." They had all agreed with Lloyd's decision to relocate back up at the monastery now with it having better facilities to treat all the injuries which the team had amassed. Kai's soft moaning seized their attention, Jay reaching and steadying the heavy and apparently quite slippery body of the Master of Ice which was once again sliding on the floor whilst Lloyd took his friend's head gently in-between his hands. He lightly stroked Kai's face as he started to come around more, carefully avoiding the bruises and freshly torn open scar on the Master of Fire's forehead. Kai blinked, eyes hooded as he tried to take in where he was.

"Lloyd…"

The green ninja smiled, putting a finger over Kai's lips.

"Hush now, save your strength. We'll have you back home soon."

A shaky, blood encrusted hand reached up and touched Lloyd's hair, fiddling with the newly blackened and singed ends to the green ninja's growing out blonde hair.

"She…she was going to burn you. She…" Kai's face downturned, hooded eyes filling with pain.

"It's ok Kai. Hush. I'm fine, you saved me."

Jay looked over questioningly, giving a small nod as Lloyd gave a look which clearly spelled out _later. I'll fill you in later…_

"Sleep now, buddy." Kai obliged, closing his eyes as Lloyd stroked his hair gently and giving in to the overwhelming heaviness.

* * *

 _Barely conscious, he could see Lloyd twisting and turning to face her again. But Lloyd was too late; he could see the sparks of his power in her fingertips. His power. His fire which was going to destroy his little brother. He felt the conflicting rage and haunting despair hit him again. Acting without thought he raised his own arm, shooting his own burst of power up against hers. No, his. His borrowed, destructive and dangerous power. Then the burning wall of twin fires collapsed, engulfing them all in scorching hot flames. Only her eyes remained, unblinking and filled with that swirling, menacing purple, boring into his soul. They blinked, and he saw her. Her own clear, deep green eyes. Bewildered, frightened and searching him. His heart stopped as her beautiful, thick lashes closed then burned away, melting into the overwhelming, ferocious blaze. The fire, his fire, then turned on him, engulfing him and suffocating him, making him scream in sheer terror as his flesh burned away._

Kai's mind abruptly awoke, dragging his conscious kicking and screaming back to reality, pulling him away from the part nightmare, part truth. He blinked hard, shakily wiping a hand across his forehead and wincing as he brushed against the wound above his eyebrow. He recognised the stark, white walls of the medical room, and was glad that he had apparently not screamed out loud as no one had come running to him, although he could hear their hushed voices outside the door.

"Could she be an…oni?" Nya was speaking in hushed tones, obviously trying to not wake her sleeping brother. Too late, he thought, gingerly trying to lift his body up from the little bed, sheets falling to the floor and gasping as he twisted. Broken ribs, he thought to himself. Brilliant.

"No, I don't think so," came Lloyd's steady tone, but you could catch the hint of worry in them, "This was something different."

"Lloyd, you saw what she did!" Jay's voice now, shriller and cut off by the others hushing him anxiously, Cole growling lowly, "Don't wake him, Jay."

Too late. He managed to put his weight onto his feet, clutching the bed frame for support as he shuffled slowly over to the doorframe, leaning on it and trying to keep his breaths shallow to avoid aggravating the burning pain in his chest anymore.

"Skylor is not an oni." He hissed out, ignoring the wrenching pain in his side.

"Kai! You should not be out of bed!" Kai waved off his sister as she spun round to him, all of the ninjas turning to him, a mixture of surprise and relief flooding their faces. No Zane or PIXAL, Kai dimly noted.

"And I am not afraid to say her name: Skylor. I don't know what has happened, but she is still in there. Lloyd, you saw her," softer now, and searching his master's face. "She's still in there Lloyd, you know it." Kai looked down, unable to look at the anxious faces anymore and allowing his sister to take his arm and help support him back to the edge of the bed.

"Kai is right." Lloyd came over, sitting carefully next to the red ninja and squeezing his arm. "I did see it, something in her eyes. This is nothing like Mystake; this is not oni. This is something very different, and I hate to say it, but I have a feeling my father has something to do with this."

It was Lloyd's turn to look down, biting his lip and shaking his head heavily. He looked up to the concerned faces of Cole, Nya and Jay, then turned to Kai.

"I don't know how, but I am sure of it."

"The purple." Kai softly stated it, the very thing that had aroused his suspicion in the first place.

"Yes." Lloyd whispered, not looking away from the weary eyes of his brother. "The purple."


	8. Foiled Confrontation

**Thank you for your reviews once again, special mentions to Jaell, RPM Shadow, Skylor Chan and RandomDragon 2.0.**

 **It's time to thicken the plot a bit more...**

* * *

 _ **Foiled Confrontation**_

Nya ruffled her brother's now clean spikes fondly as he slept propped up against her on one of the sofas, breathing still shallow but certainly a lot more peaceful since the painkillers the doctor had prescribed for him had kicked in. Despite his injuries (three broken ribs, the doctor had whistled as he had studied the x ray and questioned how they had not punctured one of Kai's lungs) the usual impatience of her brother had surfaced, demanding to go with Lloyd and Cole as they visited Kryptarium prison to interrogate Garmadon. Of course, this was out of the question and Kai had backed down fairly quickly and agreed to rest with his sister whilst Jay and PIXAL worked on the now rebooting Zane. Jay had helped Kai shower and clean up once the doctor had left, Kai's gasps of pain as the water had hit his bruises making the newly wed ninjas meet each other's eyes and wince.

Shifting slightly, Nya reached for the remote, nearly knocking Kai's half eaten bowl of melon chunks off the edge of the sofa. He murmured and nuzzled deeper into her arm, and she looked down tenderly, rubbing his arm. A frown took over her delicate features as she took in the rebandaged wound above his eyebrow. The wound had been horrifically filthy and so jagged at the edges from where Skylor had ripped into it…Nya curled a fist then took a deep breath. Kai had for once been the model patient and just laid still silently whilst the doctor had flushed it out, injected antibiotics directly into the torn flesh and then attempted to stitch it closed as neatly as he could. Kai's face already bore scars, his battle wounds, and this one was certainly going to be another added to their number. Nya's eyes narrowed as she worried; her brother had hardly spoken at all since Lloyd and Cole had left, and he had not said much before then either.

"Hey. He'll be ok you know." She smiled as Jay entered the lounge area, leaning on the back of the sofa behind where she was sat and gently caressing her neck with his thumb, apparently reading her mind. She looked up into his sparkling blue eyes and smiled weakly.

"I'm not so sure. There's going to be a lot of emotional damage here, and you know he doesn't handle emotions particularly gracefully…" Jay walked around the sofa and perched on the little coffee table, leaning forward and taking her free hand.

"We will help him, you know it."

"Kai doesn't do talking." She softly retorted, looking down at the sleeping ninja.

"Well… we'll just have to get some fire proof jackets and keep the fire station on standby!" Jay grinned, eliciting a small smile from his wife. "Besides, we had to deal with him when you were captured and we hardly knew him, we can handle him again."

They both startled as the monastery door swung open and a howl of cool, late autumn wind blew in. Lloyd burst through, hair tousled, eyes set and scowling as he trudged through to the stairwell.

"Lloyd!" Cole called after him, earning himself a death stare from the green ninja before he turned and slammed the door shut, his stomping footsteps up the stairs echoing and fading before they all heard the slam of his bedroom door.

Cole groaned as he threw himself down into the opposite sofa, kicking off his jika-tabi boots.

Nya softly blew out a "Wow." And looked to the earth ninja questioningly. "What happened?"

Cole raised a dark, heavy eyebrow and shook his head.

"It's not Garmadon."

Jay twisted around on the coffee table, looking at his worn-out brother. "What did he say?"

"That's just it, Jay. Nothing. He's unconscious, has been for the last week. Apparently, they've left messages..."

Cole's voice drifted as he watched Kai begin to stir and stiffly try to hoist himself upright from where he had been bolstered against Nya's side. Jay reached over, taking Kai's arm and trying to help him to sit up, Kai wincing and trying to bat the blue ninja away then relenting, blinking and focusing upon nothing in particular before looking up at Cole.

"He's unconscious?" Although Kai's voice was hoarse and rough it was also quiet as he tried to speak without straining his chest and so setting off the pain from his ribs too much. Cole nodded.

"According to the prison warden he'd been getting weaker and then they found him, out cold, and he's been like it since. He's not ill, he's just…well…not conscious!" Cole groaned, leaning back and rubbing a hand over his face. "Lloyd is a bit upset…"

"We kinda guessed that." Jay lowered himself gingerly next to Kai, making sure not to rock the sofa about too much as he did so. "One of us should go check on him…"

"You don't need to do that." Lloyd walked back through the door and curtly threw a bunch of scrolls down onto the kitchen table. "I'm fine. How are you Kai?"

Kai nodded, echoing with his own "I'm fine." Gritting his teeth as he rigidly stood up, holding his left arm over his ribs and walking over to the table.

"And Zane?" the green ninja didn't look up as he started to search through the heap of scrolls.

Jay stood, offering a hand to Nya as she rose from her seat. "PIXAL is with him, no permanent damage, he's just rebooting. In-fact, he should be just about done by now." They both made their way over, Nya picking up one of the scrolls and carefully unrolling it.

"Are these all to do with the elemental masters?" she raised an eyebrow at Lloyd, who nodded.

"I asked my mom to find anything she could when we realised that Skylor may have been, erm, behind…" he looked over at Kai, who frowned.

"You can say it. Behind capturing me."

"Yeah, erm. Well, I wanted to try and find out more about the Master of Amber, what their power fully is, anything at all. And that of the other masters…"

"This is _his_ power Lloyd. This is Garmadon, somehow." Kai's gaze was fierce, boring into Lloyd.

"I agree Kai. I just don't know how, or how to stop it."

"This would never have happened if you had not let her absorb his power in the first place."

Lloyd inhaled but held Kai's relentless gaze, then looked away.

"I'm sorry Kai. We had no choice; the titan was destroying the city."

"Boys, we just need to focus and work out what is going on now and how to stop Skylor."

"You mean help her." Kai turned stiffly to Nya. "This is not her fault. I don't understand it, but something is controlling her. She is still in there; she needs our help."

"And we will work out how to give it to her, brother." Zane's metallic tones filled the room, the ninja's turning to greet the nindroid and samurai as they entered the room.

Zane walked over to Kai and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We will help her. A ninja never leaves another behind"


	9. Her Eyes

**Hello! *waves manically Thank you for your fab reviews, I so love reading them.**

 **Skylor Chan - it could be... time will tell once the ninja eventually catch up with her (if they do...….!)**

 **RPM Shadow - without a doubt, I love Wu although I must admit I prefer teenage Wu. He's definitely going to be getting more involved with this as the story evolves.**

 **Jaell and RandomDragon 2.0 thank you so much! It makes me so happy that there are people out there enjoying reading this :)**

 **And so onwards with the story...**

* * *

 _ **Her Eyes.**_

 _"_ _You are just such an incurable nelipot!"_

 _"_ _I'm a what now?!" Skylor couldn't help bursting into laughter at the look of utter confusion on his adorable face, which just took on a more desperate, pleading for clarification look as she pointed at his feet. He glanced down, frowning, wriggling and scrunching his toes into the grit and enjoying the feeling of the open air surrounding them and the solid ground directly against the soles of his feet._

 _"_ _Are you making fun of my feet?" His look now was incredulous, and she near enough bent over as she howled with mirth._

 _"_ _No! You're a nelipot; you go barefoot all the time."_

 _Ohhh._

 _"_ _Not all the time! My feet get hot." The Master of Fire shrugged and smirked that delightful lop sided grin. She could not help herself._

 _"_ _Is that what I can smell?"_

 _"_ _Wait, what? No!"_

 _It was true, as soon as he was able he always pulled off his tight fitting jika-tabi and cast them to one side along with the thonged socks he had to wear with them. To be honest, they irritated his feet, and they did get a bit sweaty… But only a little, particularly after a long, hard day's training…But no they did not smell!_

 _She raised an eyebrow, pushing her sweeping fringe back away from her face, tucking it behind her ear and scrutinising him, still chuckling._

 _"_ _My feet do not smell!" He looked like he was going to stamp his (barefoot) feet._

 _"_ _No, you're right Kai," Jay walked past, dragging a heap of kendo masks and armour with him towards the monastery doors. "They positively stink!"_

 _"_ _Hey!" Kai threw a dropped kote at the sniggering blue figure then turned with surprise as she stepped over to him and threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly then leaning back and smiling into his eyes._

 _"_ _Aww, don't worry. I still love you." He held her gaze, wrapping his arms around her waist, mesmerized by the sparkling, deep green of her irises. Just a pure, clear green, no hint of another colour merging or blending into it. They truly were breath-taking. She planted a quick kiss on his lips before turning away, giggling to herself as she made her way back over to the training dummy she had been working on before he had come out and interrupted her._

 _"_ _Despite your stinky feet!"_

* * *

"Kai? You ok buddy?"

Kai looked up at Cole, who was leaning over and looking at the red ninja, the Master of Earth's own darkest brown, almost black eyes were filled with concern.

"You kinda zoned out there fella." Kai tried to will away the memory, although he could not shake the image of Skylor's eyes from him, the clear green irises refusing to go, holding on and haunting him. He sighed and nodded, trying to smile reassuringly at Cole.

"I'm good. But I need a drink. Want one?" He pushed the scroll away that he had been pouring over for what felt like several fruitless hours, starting to ready himself for the spectacle that was Kai trying to stand up without feeling like he was sticking red hot pokers into his chest and twisting them for fun.

"Good idea, but stay there, I'll make them." Placing a hand on the red ninja's shoulder, Cole started to turn towards the kettle but Kai pushed it off, frowning.

"I need to keep mobile, Cole. I can do it." Gritting his teeth Kai used the table to help support himself as he shakily rose up, taking a shallow (not deep, that hurt too much) breath as he straightened and readied himself to walk to the cupboard where the cups were.

"Ok, but at least let me help you. Tea? Should we make some for master Wu and Misako as well?"

Cole filled and turned on the kettle, grabbing the tea leaves. Kai deliberately set two cups and a teapot down, nodding. "Yeah, they've been looking over these scrolls for hours too, and we know they'd never say no to tea." He made his way back over to the cupboard, reaching precariously for another couple of cups. But as he turned he gasped, dropping the cups and smashing them on the floor as his hands flew up to his face, eyes wide with shock. All he could see were her eyes again, looking into his, steadily and openly, but this time he was seeing her when she had taken him to that little onsen to try and help him start to swim.

Deep green eyes. With swirls of a light, silvery grey tinged with blue edges. Her eyes staring unblinking into his as she had accessed and used the absorbed mind control powers of Neuro to help calm Kai's utter fright and anxiety at being in the water.

He blinked, looking helplessly at Cole who had hurriedly scooted over and was placing a hand on his arm gently, and then over to Lloyd and Zane who had made their way into the room, roused by the smashing crockery. Kai bit his lip, looking down at his barefoot feet which now had a couple of small cuts on from the smashed cups.

"Kai, is it your chest? Do you need more of your meds? Or an ice pack?" Zane reached over, scanning the quiet ninja for signs of more discomfort or new injury.

"Lloyd. I think I know what it is." Kai's voice was quiet and a little shaky, unnerving the green ninja as it was virtually unheard of for the Master of Fire to show fear or weakness. Inhaling, Lloyd moved closer, taking Kai's other arm and guiding him with Cole's help back over to the chair he had been sat at, studying the scrolls on the elemental masters. They all sat down, uttering words of encouragement to their comrade and brother who was deep in thought and frowning.

Eventually, Kai looked up, looking squarely at Lloyd.

"Her eyes are green. No other colour in them but green, the clearest I have ever seen except yours when you access your powers. But yours are brighter, almost glowing." Lloyd nodded. He had not seen them as he had never been staring at himself in a mirror or seen any photos of himself when he used his energy, but he had been told.

"When she accesses her absorbed powers, they change. Her eyes, I mean. She gets flecks of other colours,"

"Like yours with the amber." Cole pointed out, Kai nodding.

"Yes, just like that. I can remember a silvery, blue colour when she used Neuro's power; her eye's take on the colours of the elemental powers she is accessing when she uses them."

Zane looked up. "You mentioned purple." Kai nodded sadly whilst Lloyd looked away.

"Garmadon's power is purple. The power of destruction." Kai looked to Lloyd, the latter now nodding sadly as he got up and walked over to the kettle, pouring the boiled water into the teapot. They all looked to him, waiting silently. Eventually the blonde turned around from stirring the tea leaves, leaning back on the worktop and looking to Kai.

"You think Garmadon is controlling her? But he's not conscious."

Kai shrugged. "Either that or… I think his power is overwhelming her, making her loose control. I don't know for sure. She struggled with it, you said so yourself. It knocked her out… What if Garmadon's power is corrupting her, making her do things she wouldn't normally?"

Lloyd blew out his cheeks, looking at the scrolls.

"It's possible."

"It is unfortunately an overwhelming possibility, odds are…" Zane's voice trailed off as Kai waved at the nindroid, really not wanting to know the odds to this one.

"Ok, so we need to focus all our efforts on my father's power, and anything we can find out about the powers of the Masters of Amber." They all nodded at Lloyd, Cole standing and scraping his chair.

"I'll get the others; we need to draw up a proper plan." Lloyd nodded to the Master of Earth, turning back to the teapot and starting to pour it out into the cups absentmindedly.

"We need to work out why it is taking her over now, if it is, and how to stop it."

Kai leaned back carefully in his chair, jaw set and running a hand through his hair, barely acknowledging when his sister and the other members of the team (san one) filtered into the room around the table. He locked eyes with Lloyd and quietly spoke, nearly stuttering.

"Wha… what if his power is transferring over to her fully?" The air around the ninja team suddenly seemed closer, and colder. Menacing. None of them dared to breath or utter a sound as they looked into the Master of Fire's burning, aching eyes as he continued.

"What if she is becoming the next Master of Destruction?"


	10. Shock

**Well it feels like I haven't updated for a while, and I guess for me it has been (it's been a very hectic few weeks!), but here's the next instalment. I'm hoping you don't think it's moving too slowly, there is some full on action coming up soon I promise! Anyways, as always thank you for the awesome reviews! And I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Shock**_

 _"_ _What if she is becoming the next Master of Destruction?"_

No one spoke, they all just looked at each other helplessly, letting Kai's words sink in. It was their sensei who broke the silence.

"It is an unfortunate possibility, and one that would make your sister and fellow ninja a very strong, formidable opponent." The stunned ninja turned to face Sensei Wu from where he stood with Misako in the doorway, a hand thoughtfully stroking his beard.

"Now, I do hope that some of that tea is for me." Wu walked over, taking a cup from his nephew and scraping the chair next to Kai out from under the table, sitting down and gesturing to those of the ninja who were still standing to also sit. The elderly master looked around at his ninja, his family who had grown in number so much with their recent additions over the last few turbulent months. He took in their subtle pats and reassuring rubs on the fire elemental's shoulders and arms as they passed him and took their seats, pride welling as he saw their ways of communicating their care for each other without needing to speak. Misako moved forward and leant over Wu, carefully placing an extremely old looking scroll down onto the table top. She gestured to Zane to hold it open from the other end of the table whilst she held down the other, smoothing it out as she gently unrolled it fully; the scroll must have been ancient, yellowed and torn at it's edges and decorated with swirls of gilded gold.

"Urgh, why are they always written in chicken scratch." Jay leant back in his chair, frustratedly holding his hands up. "I can't read that!"

"You are so uncultured sometimes, you know that?" Cole scolded, "But yeah, er, what does it say?" Cole's eyebrows rose as he leant back in his chair, dark eyes seeking enlightenment from Lloyd's mother.

"This was written by my father, the First Spinjitzu Master," Wu paused as the ninja gasped, Lloyd leaning over further and staring intently at his grandfather's ornate calligraphy. "It tells us here about the Elemental Essences. Here," Wu pointed to a particularly beautiful character set. "Your powers, Lloyd, both your Golden Power and your Energy. Here," his hand moved down, "This describes my own power, that of Creation, and then my brother's, Destruction. Now this," the ninja leant in to see where Wu was gesturing to. "This here tells how the Power of Creation is a combination of the main elements." The ninja could clearly see their symbols now amongst the fluid writing; Fire, Earth, Lightning and Ice.

"Now my father describes here how the secondary elements also have their masters, such as yours, Nya." The water ninja bowed her head, smiling.

"Yes, we know all this Sensei. But does it say anything about the Master of Amber?" Kai had forced himself to sit more upright, one hand clamped against his side whilst the other was curled into a fist on the edge of the table.

"I believe there is something here." Zane pointed to a smaller section towards the end of the scroll.

"Well done, Zane, you are quite correct."

"So what does it say?!" Kai stared at the section intently, eyes flicking up to Zane then back to Wu, irritation burning inside.

"Patience Kai. It unfortunately does not tell us much more than we already know; that the Master of Amber has the ability to possess parts of the Elemental Powers to utilise as their own.

"That's it?"

"I'm afraid so."

Kai threw his hands up and huffed, immediately wincing. Nya leaned over and rubbed his arm but did not break her gaze from the scroll as Wu continued.

"The part that interests me the most is here. Here it describes how the elemental powers can be passed to the next worthy of a generation, either by blood, the traditional route for power transference, or by choice."

Zane's eyes shone. "Which is how I gained my element."

"Correct Zane. But here it also says how the elements may be lost if this does not occur. Which is what unfortunately seems to have happened with Morro's powers as Master of Wind; as far as we know, Morro has not passed his Elemental Power on."

"I still don't see how this helps, we know all this Sensei." Wu placed a hand on the red ninja's arm, then pointed back to the scroll.

"But here, Kai, here it says how the Elemental Essences _must_ be passed in order to keep balance in the world. Creation cannot exist without Destruction, and vice versa. The yin and the yang"

Lloyd stood up, pacing. "I took my father's power away from him. Are you saying that his power must go to someone if he no longer possesses it; it has to be controlled by someone?"

"Yes. That is precisely what my father has written. See here, _"'The Elemental Essences will be passed, they cannot be vanished. They may be dampened but never eliminated. They may be weakened but never eradicated."'_ Wu sat back, his hand going back to stroking his beard as he looked over to Misako who nodded sadly then spoke in her gentle tone.

"Garmadon's power has to be somewhere. If he can no longer wield it, it will have passed to someone else. It is very likely that Skylor is the unfortunate reciprocate."

Kai suddenly stood and quickly stalked out of the room, slamming the front door on his way out, whilst the others exchanged worried looks with each other, processing the information and trying to make sense of it all. Nya stood to go after her brother but Lloyd's gentle hand stopped her. She nodded as he breathed a quiet _give him a minute_.

"You must not lose sight of the fact that Skylor is still one of you; she is your fellow ninja. She is not your enemy. Dangerous, yes, and no doubt in great turmoil. My brother is not dead, Misako and I will continue our research and try to find out what has happened to him and his powers, but you, my ninja, will need to find a way to bring Skylor back so we can help her. All is not lost." Nya nodded to Wu whilst Cole and Jay whispered their agreements. PIXAL and Zane looked at each other, then stood, Zane announcing "We will do everything we can to bring our sister back to us." Lloyd met their gazes, nodding from where he stood behind his uncle.

"Alright then, team, we need to regroup and try to work out where she could be. Cole can you start organising? I'm going to go find Kai."

"Right O!" The Earth Ninja nodded and jumped into action, beginning to delegate tasks out whilst Lloyd walked over towards the front door, following the footsteps of his older brother.

* * *

Lloyd knew exactly where he would have found the red ninja if he hadn't been so badly injured, but there was no way that Kai would have been able to get himself up onto the top of the monastery wall at the moment. Even so, it did not take the green ninja long to find his brother. As soon as he had pushed open the main gate the little flickering glows occasionally lighting up the narrow stairs to his right had given the fire elemental's whereabouts away. Lloyd had carefully followed the steps down and round, twisting around the mountainside edge to the old hollows in its side. Kai was sat on the edge of the mountain in front of what used to be Flame's stable, his legs dangling over as he stared out into the distance, absentmindedly sending small wisps of flame out into the slowly darkening evening sky. Lloyd walked over and carefully lowered himself next to him, briefly wondering how it could be that someone could be petrified of water but happily sit precariously on the edge of a very high up mountain like this…Kai did not acknowledge his presence but Lloyd could not fail to notice the glistening at the edges of his brother's eyes. They sat silently for a good five or so minutes, silently watching as Kai continued to blow curling tendrils of flame out into the wind, observing the small combustions as they twisted and danced briefly before curling and dying, disappearing in a small puff of meandering smoke.

"You know this is the cause of so much trouble."

Lloyd looked questioningly at his brother, not quite following. Kai just continued staring out, sending another flame out into the wind.

"This, my power. Our powers." Kai finally turned his head and met Lloyd's gaze, the latter sighing as he finally understood.

"Our powers do good as well, Kai."

"Your powers do good. Mine, well mine just destroys. It can look pretty," he blew a larger flame out into the wind, this one swaying and dancing elegantly, red and orange tendrils flickering and coiling before fading into smoke. "But we know that it does not create, it does not build or activate. Fire just destroys."

Lloyd looked into his friend's eyes, watching the same twisting amber tendrils dancing within their dark backdrop. Blinking, Lloyd shook his head.

"No, you're wrong there. Fire gives us heat and keeps us alive. We use it to cook, to power. It allows us to create weapons. Fire is light; light is life. Yes, it can destroy, it can do bad. But it can overwhelmingly do good when controlled by the right person." Stopping and staring intently at his brother, he paused. "You do believe you are the right person still?"

Kai sighed, lowering his head and staring at is feet, toes wiggling.

"Kai?"

"I don't know."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know. I can't think straight. I don't want _this_ anymore."

Lloyd didn't dare think about what "this" could mean right now…

"Kai, you've been through the Cursed Realm and back. You just need some time to rest, recover."

"I've never seen fire like this before, Lloyd. It was so… menacing. She nearly killed you."

And suddenly Lloyd got it. Kai had never wielded his power in a destructive way purposefully. Sure he was hot headed, brash and prone to recklessness, and had managed to set light to countless trees, buildings, the occasional phone booth…but he always used his power with noble purpose.

Skylor had not done this.

Skylor had wielded Kai's own power in a way he would never consider to; against an innocent and, even worse, against his brother.

And now Kai was grieving, desperately lost in the throes of the first stage of grief: shock.

"You know she's not herself right now. And all of our powers have the potential to be so destructive, not just yours."

The red ninja nodded his head miserably, gratefully leaning into the green ninja's hug as Lloyd leant over, grasping him carefully around the shoulders.

"Come on, let's get you back up and inside. It's only been a couple of days since we got you back. You should still be resting, not out here."

They both rose, the blonde helping the spikey brunette up as he stiffly tried to straighten. Nya suddenly appeared, coming over and supporting Kai on his other side as they made their way back up into the monastery together silently, Lloyd still praying that Kai's "this" was not as bad as what he was thinking it could be...


	11. Denial with a Smattering of

**Well I'm treating you all with an update already!**

 **Jaell, you are amazing. Thank you so much for your words, you've literally brought tears to my eyes. I hope you love this next chapter as much!**

 **RPM Shadow, I hope so too, but I guess you never can tell...I may have put the poor guy through a lot in this story! Oops!**

 **RandomDragon 2.0 thank you, as always. You've supported me so much through all of this story and the previous ones! Thank you.**

* * *

 _ **Denial with a Smattering of…**_

After a brief discussion with Cole, Zane and PIXAL over the places he could think of to check for Skylor which they had not already written down, Nya decided that it was definitely time to pack her brother off to bed despite his protests. It was only after Cole had promised several times to completely fill the red ninja in on their plans in the morning that she managed to get her stubborn sibling to agree to retire to his room along with his meds, an ice pack fresh from Zane and a hot cup of a slightly foul-smelling tea which Wu had made. She could tell from Kai's wrinkled face as he accepted the cup as their sensei cornered them on their way to the stairs that he had no intention of drinking it, despite Wu's reassurances that it would do the Master of Fire the world of good and Kai's nodding that yes, of course he would drink every last drop…

Kai had refused any help getting up to his room, but the way he paused at his door before entering made her glad she had thought ahead to go in and remove any obvious signs of his missing girlfriend. Having been confined to the bed in the downstairs medical room so they could monitor him easier for the first few days and nights since they had found him, this was the first time Kai had come back up to his room since before the wedding. Nya had removed the discarded hair ties scattered about and the deep red gloves which had been tossed on top of the mirror in the corner. Skylor's training spear, which had been discarded alongside one of Kai's bokken at the end of his bed, had been placed back in its rightful place in the weaponry downstairs. The photo which was on top of the drawer unit had caused her and Jay some struggles and contemplation over whether to leave it or not, eventually opting to leave it. She gazed at the photo of the orange and red clad pair lying down on the bed, Kai obviously holding up his phone above them at arm's length to capture the moment, his cheeks blushing lightly whilst he smiled directly at the camera as Skylor leant over and kissed his cheek, thick lashed eyes half closed and long, glowing hair cascading behind her. Nya held her breath as present-day Kai threw the ice pack on his bed and shuffled painfully over to the photo, picking it up and shoving it straight into his top drawer without looking at it or missing a beat. Sighing she placed the hot mug on his bedside table and walked over to stand behind him, lightly placing her hands on the backs of his arms as he leant on his drawers, taking a shallow, slightly laboured breath. After a minute or two he straightened, turning himself back around and facing her. Nya could feel her face crumple as she looked into his sad eyes, but he backed away as she tried to comfort him, his hands gently but firmly catching hers before she could throw her arms around his neck.

"Erm, I'm going to get some sleep, Nya." She bit her lip and frowned, then half smiled, pulling up one of his hands which still held hers and kissing the back of it before letting go.

"Need any help with your pyjamas? I can shout Jay up…"

"No, no. I'll work it out." He cocked his head slightly, smiling weakly. She looked so worried, and that just would not do. He reached over and grabbed her, pulling her into that hug she had wanted moments earlier. She gratefully reciprocated, and he felt her relax against him, sighing gently.

"I was so worried about you."

"I'm here. I'm fine."

She pulled back, brushing a stray lock of her dark hair back from her face as she raised an eyebrow.

"Kai. You are not fine." She put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing.

"Nya, I've survived worse. I'm fine." The two siblings looked at each other, locked in a Smith stubbornness standoff. Nya heaved an exasperated groan, rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket, pulling out two shiny capsules and slamming them down next to the still steaming mug of suspiciousness which Wu called healing tea.

"You keep on telling yourself that, Kai. You need to take these before you go to sleep." She walked back over to her brother, eyes blazing as she leant over and kissed him on the cheek, left hand clutching at his shirt. "But don't you forget that we all love you and are here for you. Whether you like it or not." She turned and walked out, sliding the door shut behind her quietly. Kai slowly blew his cheeks out, sinking onto his bed and eyeing the painkillers, quickly tossing them into his mouth and nearly spitting out the mouthful of tea he had swigged with them. FSM, that truly was foul, somehow tasting worse than it smelt. No more of that, thank you… he rose and went back to his drawers, pulling them open and grabbing his pyjamas. With some fairly alarming contorting and a little light cussing he managed to pull off his shirt. As he tossed it over the corner of his standing mirror he caught a glimpse of his reflection, stopping him in his tracks. Kai turned, standing stock still and taking it all in. His chest, usually a tanned, olive tone inherited from his father, was a mottled mis-mash of yellows, greens, blacks and blues as the bruising from his snapped ribs bloomed and came out. The usual definition from his muscles was lost amongst the ugly swelling. His eyes travelled up and he took in the larger than normal dressing covering his wound above his eyebrow. With an abnormally steady hand he peeled it back and threw it to the floor, grimacing at the jagged, raised red scar snaking across his forehead, prickly from the black stitches holding the wound in place. He pulled the shirt to cover the mirror then carefully lowered himself into his bed as he was, not bothering to try and change out of his sweatpants or put his pyjama top on. Kai closed his eyes, pulling the covers up over himself as he whispered out loud,

 _"_ _I'm fine. I'm absolutely fine."_

* * *

It was late morning when he awoke, the sunlight filtering through his window onto his face, making him smile in the warm glow. He went to turn over on his side and was quickly and rudely reminded with a sharp hiss of pain that A) that really hurt and he should not attempt to lie directly on broken bones… And B) She was not there to gaze at. Even if he could just about still smell her faint but distinctive combination of her shampoo and cherry lip balm. _I'm fine._

He groaned, rubbing his eyes and lying back against his mountain of pillows which were propping him up, listening to the sounds of the others outside training. He could almost feel the electricity in the air as he heard the snap of Jay's powers against his foe, Cole he was guessing from the grunt and thud on the earth not long after and then the shrill yelp and thump as Jay must have hit the ground. The dull aching and incessant stabbing growing urgently in his chest told Kai he should really get out of bed and go get his meds and some coffee to try and bring him fully into the world, but he really couldn't be bothered to move right now, so he reached over for his BorgPad. His phone was long gone, crushed and discarded by Skylor before they had even reached the warehouse, so he had not been in contact with the virtual world for quite some time. He tapped the little Chirp icon and watched and waited as it loaded, trying to remember when he had last updated or chirped for his followers. A quick selfie before heading down to meet Jay and the others before the wedding ceremony, that was it. He took a small breath. The wedding. They had barely spoken about it, and he had not seen any pictures from it, although that wasn't really a surprise… _What the…?_

Kai nearly dropped the tablet as his account finished loading up, showing a stupid amount of unread notifications. He pushed himself more upright, scanning through the likes and comments from his wedding selfie then stopped as he found himself tagged in a series of photos published by the social media arm of "Ninjago Tonight", under the album title "Ninja Wedding of the Year." He chuckled softly, thinking this was the only ninja wedding of the year then paused as a picture of Nya entering the Airjitzu Temple grounds on the arm of their dad loaded. His eyes softened as he took her in, she looked stunning in her simply cut, traditional ivory silk dress with a very light, soft grey lace flowing down from her sleeves, nipping in her waist and cascading down to form a trail behind her. You could just make out the subtle flash of the blue underskirt, which was only really visible as she walked. Kai swiped, loading the next picture Ninjago Tonight had managed to get a hold of, smiling at the couple's first official kiss, then chuckling at the next image of the whole team lined up outside the temple gates together around the newlyweds. It was rare to get a picture where they were all looking half decent, and this was no exception. Jay and Nya were gazing adoringly at each other whilst Cole appeared to be smirking next to Lloyd who looked like he had just yelped. Zane and Pix were smiling intently at the camera, whilst himself and Sky…

Kai quickly swiped on, watching the page load the next photo. An image of the cake, a picture of Dareth dancing (if that was indeed what he was doing), more pictures of guests he barely recognised, and then…

He held the tablet tightly, closing his eyes and willing his heart to Just. Slow. Down. His head started to spin as he reopened his eyes, taking in the close up of the smiling couple, both wearing their white ninja Wu Cru robes, his detailed with red stitching, hers with her burnt orange. They were holding each other close, obviously mid embrace and oblivious to everything around them. _I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll be fine…_

Curiosity got the better of him as Kai clicked on the comments, taking in the thousands of shares and likes and then noticing the photo caption, _Ninjago Tonight : Is this Ninjago's newest power couple?_

Kai threw the tablet down, closing his eyes and leaning back. He could feel the familiar burning, stoking and welling inside him. He clenched his jaw tight, gritting his teeth as he hissed _I am fine!_ He threw his bedcovers off and cumbersomely exited his room, making his way down the stairs awkwardly to the kitchen, needing to get a drink for his suddenly dry mouth and some painkillers, only realising once he was gulping the water he had poured from the fridge dispenser that he still only had on his sweatpants from the night before. He slammed the glass down and took as deep a breath as he could manage, holding a hand to his head and closing his eyes, trying to re-centre himself.

"Kai!" Lloyd's voice shocked him back to reality, both jumping as they caught sight of each other, the blonde standing in the open doorway, obviously coming in to grab a drink himself mid-training.

"Are you not a bit cold? I didn't realise you were up… wait…what's happened?" Lloyd started walking over, dropping his katana onto the sofa as he made his way round to the kitchen area. They both jumped as the BorgPad chirped and lit up from where it had been abandoned on the kitchen island, Kai not even realising that he had brought it down with him. He reached over, picking it up and tapping the screen to see the newest notification flash up then dropped it, breathless and eyes wide. Lloyd frowned, puzzlement taking over his features as he reached the island and glanced down at the tablet, picking it up as the red ninja barged past him, walking straight outside and seemingly straight through the training yard from the abrupt sounds of hastily halted sparring and surprised cries of "Kai!" echoing from his teammates.

"Oh, no no no!" Lloyd hissed and spun as he read the notification, running out to the training yard in time to see the Master of Fire engulf himself in the flames of a very shaky and unstable spinjitzu tornado, the others jumping back out of the way as he leapt out of it, spinning and roundhouse kicking the nearest training dummy with such ferocity and force he still had flames surrounding him. Zane was the only one who dared to approach the literally fired up ninja, deftly dodging the kicks and punches aimed at the dummy and calmly calling his brother's name repeatedly as the fire elemental took out of all his rage on the inanimate training aid. With a final roar and burst of flame Kai fell to the floor as Zane knelt next to him, quickly extinguishing the still spinning training dummy with his ice from one hand whilst holding the ninja up carefully with his other. Kai lifted his face and watched as the dummy slowly stopped spinning, charred and steaming still, his jaw clenched, fists curled and his eyes burning a pure, brilliant amber.

"How could she?" It was hissed through his teeth, not directed at anyone, the words just needing to be spoken out loud. Nya looked over to Lloyd who simply held out the tablet. She grabbed it, tapping the screen then recoiling at the notification which sprung up next to the photo of her brother and Skylor at the wedding.

 **Skylor Chen: ❤️**


	12. A Brother's Path

**Ah, you guys are the absolute best! Thank you so much for the kindest, loveliest reviews.**

 **RandomDragon2.0 We are about to see just how much more Kai can take... the heart I managed to get on by editing the doc though my iPhone, I wasn't sure if it would work but you can see it so, yay! It did!**

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 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **A Brother's Path**_

It soon became apparent that Kai just could not bring himself to move, physically or mentally. Zane continued to support the red ninja's weight as he knelt against him, listening to and evaluating the rattling, short gasps of breath Kai exhaled into the Master of Ice's ear. His eerily glowing amber eyes continued to stare wide eyed at the charred training dummy, the elemental radiance stressing and highlighting the worrying paling of his face. Zane shifted slightly, trying to see Kai's chest better so he could observe the strange, unevenness of his breathing but he inadvertently caused the ninja to cry out as he brushed against his side, Zane startled by the sudden limpness of Kai's body as pain took hold of him.

"I am so sorry Kai." Zane muttered then looked up to catch the attention of the nearest ninja. Cole faced him and nodded, jumping up and immediately summoning his elemental dragon as Zane calmly commanded, "The doctor, here. Now." As Cole took off to fetch their usual emergency doctor the others sprang into action, Jay shrugging off his uwagi and wrapping it gently over Kai's bare back before helping Zane and Lloyd to carry the writhing ninja back into the monastery as carefully as they could to where Nya was propping up one end of the medical room's bed; lying flat would not help Kai's difficulty breathing right now. Kai's body felt hot, the heat literally radiating off the ninja, prompting Jay to enquire whether or not Kai had a fever. Zane shook his head, murmuring "No, I don't think so. Although it is always hard to tell with Kai."

Wu arrived in the room just as they managed to prop Kai up, quickly waving the ninja out to make space but placing a hand on Zane, silently asking him to stay. Zane nodded and pulled the small stool they kept in the room over to the side of the bed, placing an iced hand onto his friend in an attempt to help cool him down, watching Kai closely and taking in the increasingly laboured breathing and slight blue tinge peeking at the edges of his lips.

It did not take long for Cole to return along with the pale faced doctor clinging tightly for dear life to the back of the stocky earth dragon. The doctor slid off quickly as soon as they landed, clutching his bag tightly and swiftly striding into the medical room, greeting Wu and Zane with curt nods before moving over to assess his patient.

"Doctor Summers, I believe Kai has a traumatic pneumothorax." The doctor nodded at Zane, quickly listening to Kai's chest with his stethoscope then reaching into his bag and pulling out a needle and syringe. Kai let out a weak groan and closed his eyes.

"Your prognosis is correct, Zane. Now Kai you will soon feel better; you've managed to pierce your left lung with one of your broken ribs, now we need to help your lung re-inflate. Sharp scratch coming up."

The doctor quickly injected a local anaesthetic, then quietly asked Zane to hold onto his friend's hands. Kai's fists were curled, bunching up the sheets underneath him as the doctor inserted a second needle into his chest, just under his collar bone. He screwed his face up from the excruciating pain, gritting his teeth tightly; Zane concentrated on his own hands as he noticed the small wisps of smoke curling up from under them from Kai's rapidly heating fists, summoning his own cooling powers once again. The point at which the needle found its target was immediately obvious from the small hiss of air; Kai's breathing shuddered then finally evened out as his left lung refilled and expanded correctly. The doctor fiddled with the syringe, straightening up and taping the small valve he had left in Kai's chest down gently, giving a small nod.

"Very little blood and no fluid build up. You have once again been lucky, my friend." Kai weakly nodded, leaning back into the bed and closing his eyes, allowing Zane to gently wipe his brow with a cool cloth as the doctor turned and conversed with Wu about the red ninja's aftercare.

"How long will…" the red ninja paused, looking down at the valve taped to his chest. "How long will I need this?" The doctor looked up and came over, raising an eyebrow and looking at the valve he had inserted.

"Not too long I hope. We just need to make sure your lung is fully inflated again before I remove it. I suggest you rest today, and I will come by before my morning surgery starts tomorrow to recheck it. Keep mobile but do _not_ overdo it. Your body has been through a lot, you need to allow yourself to heal. With your extraordinary internal body temperature I doubt infection will be a concern, but I will monitor the wound in the morning as well. _But you must rest_."

"And by rest, Kai, the doctor means no training and most certainly no spinjitzu. Allow the others to look after you, if only for today." Wu held his pupil's gaze intently, frowning at the bright amber eyes he was confronted with. "I understand you are troubled, but we must get you back to full health. You must allow us to help you." Kai looked down, nodding silently but his jaw still set.

Zane held out a hand. "Do you feel ready to try and move? I assume you do not want to stay in here." Kai nodded, gingerly pushing himself forward and propping himself on the edge of the bed.

"The sofa sounds good." Zane smiled, supporting his friend's weight as he carefully stood.

"Then indeed the sofa it is. Although I feel we may need to get you some other clothing as Jay's blue most certainly does not suit you, as well as the sizing being too small." Kai looked at the open uwagi robe thrown around his shoulders, frowning.

"I'm not sure which colour suits me right now." A puzzled look momentarily swept across Zane, but he quickly shook it off, directing a quick "thank you doctor" to where Sensei Wu and Doctor Summers stood in conversation as he guided the fire elemental to the door and towards his destination of choice; the sofa.

The team were gathered in the kitchen, relief flooding their faces as the pair slowly hobbled through the doorway, Cole quickly arranging himself under Kai's other arm and helping Zane manoeuvre him to his usual spot on the sofa, wedged into the corner and surrounded by as many cushions as he had managed to prize away from Jay. Nya quietly glided over, standing behind her now seated brother and wrapping her arms around his neck carefully, gently hugging him and burying her face in his hair as she softly murmured "Will you quit scaring me for a little while now, please big bro?" He turned his face sideways towards her.

"I'll try." Kai whispered up to her, giving his little sister a weak smile. She smiled back.

"I'll go get your hoodie, you must be freezing." The water elemental straightened and started to walk towards the stairs, but Kai's suddenly urgent, louder voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Erm, Nya, actually…" She turned, head tilted to one side as she waited. "Er, Cole, could I have one of yours?" The earth ninja looked up, surprised, a puzzled smile across his lips.

"Well, yeah, sure, but… they're black… don't you want one of yours?" Kai looked down, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Um…one of yours would be baggier, and they won't catch on this thing." Kai mumbled, gesturing to his chest valve, then looked up pleadingly into the Master of Earth's dark eyes. Cole melted instantly, turning and making his way up to the stairs and his room with a soft "Of course, bro." Kai immediately relaxed, gratefully taking a glass of water from Lloyd and sipping it.

* * *

The rest of the day had revolved around finalising strategies for scoping out places Skylor could be and then beginning the physical hunt, all whilst keeping their injured brother occupied and trying to make him feel useful. Zane kept a regular monitoring vigil, checking Kai's temperature and the valve periodically, reassuring him that his lung appeared to be keeping itself inflated sufficiently, so all being well the valve could be removed in the morning. But they all noticed that the Master of Fire's eyes had still not returned to normal, the amber shining luminescent against his abnormally pale skin. Kai himself was quiet, subdued, not really engaging anyone in conversation fully, which unnerved them as they went about their tasks and duties. Jay in particular was thrown, used to always being able to spar off Kai verbally but now receiving just grunts and monosyllabic retorts from his brother in law. Wu himself had come to sit with the ninja on the sofa, just sitting, sipping his tea and observing the curt interactions until he finally stood, placing his unemptied cup down on the coffee table much to PIXAL's surprise and uttering just one, commanding word.

"Come."

Kai looked up, eyes blazing as he frowned. Wu just turned and walked to the door for the dojo, leaving it open. Kai sat for a few moments before sighing, accepting Lloyd's helping hand up and following his sensei who was sat with ease in the lotus position on the tatami mats, eyes closed and breathing deeply.

"Come and sit."

Wu did not open his eyes or move, he just continued to breathe deeply.

"Er, Sensei, I don't think meditation will help…"

"Sit." Wu cut him short, stressing the single command. Kai, knowing better than to argue, relented and pushed the screen door closed, carefully lowering himself down onto the mat opposite his sensei.

"Now, close your eyes and breathe."

Kai frowned again, knowing this would not work. But he sighed, closing his eyes and dutifully putting his hands open palmed onto his knees. This was not going to help.

"Calm your mind, Kai. Breathe slowly, in and out."

He tried, he really did. But as soon as he closed his eyes all he could see was the fire. Burning so brightly it was stinging his eyes, tendrils swirling and grabbing him, building and scorching in his chest. He reopened his eyes, exhaling sharply and eying Wu who had not moved, eyes still closed. Wu nodded toward him and repeated the instructions to just breathe slowly.

Sighing, Kai tried again but this time the fire quickened and began its angry, ferocious clawing at his chest immediately, engulfing him and rising from his chest to grab at his throat, tendrils curling around him and choking him, suffocating him. The white-hot pain which suddenly streaked across his head left him gasping, clutching a hand into his hair as he groaned out loud. Wu's eyes snapped open as Kai cumbersomely stood up, knocking the incense burner over as he turned and bolted out of the room, gasping for air and eyes wild, not seeing the green ninja making his way down the corridor. Lloyd turned in surprise as the black clad Master of Fire came hurtling towards him, nearly knocking him clean off his feet. He grabbed hold of the gasping ninja's arms and tried to calm him.

"You need to release me."

Lloyd looked into the wide amber eyes, confused.

"Am I hurting you, holding you too tight?" Lloyd loosened his grip, looking concerned.

"No." Kai shrugged the green ninja off, straightening himself and rising to his full height with a grimace, swallowing.

"You need to let me go."

Lloyd straightened now, blinking.

"Kai, what are you asking?" _Please don't be what I think it is…_

"I need to go. I can't do this anymore." Kai spat the words out, his gaze was so forceful that Lloyd could feel himself shrink away slightly.

"Kai, I,"

"Lloyd. I have to leave. I can't take any of this anymore. I'm done." The Master of Fire leant back on the corridor wall, closing his eyes.

"Please let me go." The crack in his voice betrayed his emotions, but his face stayed clenched and the burning amber eyes bore into Lloyd's bright green ones.

"Kai, we will release you tomorrow."

"What?" Lloyd spun and faced his uncle, astonishment quickly turning to anger as he faced him, stepping aside as the soon to no longer be red ninja trudged past and made his way up the stairs to his room.

"Uncle, what have you just done?! We can't let Kai just leave, he needs…" He stopped as Wu held up his hand.

"Lloyd. Sometimes the hardest choices are the ones we must take. Kai is in conflict; he is questioning his very soul, his very being. We must allow him this space, no matter how difficult that may be or how destructive it may become. Sometimes destruction is the only way to clear the weeds in order to see our true path. Kai must re-find himself, and only he can do this. With our support, of course, should he want it. Tomorrow we must allow him to leave and begin his journey."

Lloyd miserably nodded, looking down then back up to the now empty stairs.

"But he is in so much pain."

"I know. And he will overcome it."

"But he's my brother." Head down and biting his lip. "We need him. I need him."

"He will always be your brother." Wu placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Now come, we must prepare the others."


	13. Battlelines

**Ah, you guys are just so outstandingly kind to me in your reviews, thank you so much. Jaell - a huge thank you to you, it means a lot that you think that much of my ramblings to recommend them to others!**

 **I have mentioned on my Tumblr page that I am looking for a middle name for Kai as I'm wanting it for an upcoming chapter, thought it might be fun to open it up to you guys to help choose one. I think his name is awesome, but also quite a tricky one to match up with a middle name. I'm kind of leaning towards Leonard, although I like the idea of Wu as I'm sure I remember Ray and Wu being very good friends back in their ninja days before Ray and Maya were "disappeared" as such. Kai Leonard Wu? Hmmm, let me know what you guys think!**

 **Hopefully, next chapter will be up tomorrow, this is a shorty but hopefully a goodie!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _Battlelines._**

The rest of the team sat stunned in the lounge area. Lloyd had struggled to get the words out, so Wu simply explained that Kai needed to leave them, answering their questions as best he could. Cole sat quietly, frowning gently next to Zane and Pix, who had sadly nodded their understanding. Nya's face was terrifying, completely unfathomable, lips pursed as she paced to and thro behind the sofa.

"Is this a permanent thing?" Jay was the one who broke the silence, leaning forward as he searched Sensei Wu for answers.

"I do not know. It is my belief that Kai also does not know whether this is the case."

"Huh." Jay leant back, frowning, tapping his hand on his knee nervously. "Huh."

"I know that this is not ideal, but it is imperative that I leave you now. I will be back soon. Please, look after each other, there is no blame here, only difficult paths to be followed. I will be back soon."

They all looked up, Cole speaking this time.

"You're leaving?"

Wu nodded as he shrugged on his thick, woollen, outdoor kimono. "Not for long. I need to go and…" he paused, watching Nya pace. "I need to seek someone's expertise. As I said, I will not be gone long. Lloyd, look after your team." Jay couldn't help himself, scoffing quietly "What's left of it." under his breath. Wu shuffled out of the door, quickly pulling it shut against the now howling wind, blowing Nya's hair forward into her eyes. She ceased pacing, looking up as she brushed her hair back behind her ears, then turned and stomped to her workshop.

* * *

Zane and PIXAL had decided to busy themselves making dinner not long after, chatting to themselves quietly as they worked. Cole and Lloyd took themselves out into the training yard, throwing themselves into a spar, both tense and unspeaking as they whirled around each other, the only noise the clash of the katana against hammer and the scraping and dull thuds as they landed and grounded themselves as they fought. Jay joined Nya in the workshop, metallic clangs ringing out every now and then. No one heard or saw Kai until the late afternoon when he quietly emerged, padding into the kitchen and heading straight for the fridge, startling Zane as he turned around and nearly walked straight into the open door.

"Kai!" the spikey haired teen straightened up and closed the fridge, clutching the carton of orange juice he had been hunting for tightly, eyes down and not meeting the ice ninja's gaze.

"Brother…" Zane softly exhaled, putting a hand on Kai's shoulder, the later eying it wearily before slowly looking up.

"I just want a glass Zane, then I'll be out of your way."

"Brother, you are not in the way." The Master of Ice, frowned, PIXAL coming over and nodding gently as she passed Kai a glass.

"Please, Kai, sit with us whilst we cook. It might help…" She stopped mid-sentence as the door leading to the workshop stairs flew open, Nya crashing through it. Jay was running up just behind her, oil smeared across his cheek and eyes wide, calling Nya's name which she ignored.

"Oh, I thought I heard you." If her expression had been unreadable before, it certainly was not now as her eyes hardened as she rounded on her brother.

"How could you?"

Kai backed away, placing the juice and glass down on the counter top, turning to leave.

"Don't you dare back away from me! You're already running from your team; don't you dare turn away from me now!" The shouted confrontation brought Lloyd and Cole to the front door, peering in and mouths opened at the unfolding scene as Kai tried to walk away from his raging sister.

"I am not running." He spoke the words quietly, but they could all see the dangerous flash in his eyes and the subtle curling of his fists as he turned back to face her.

"Oh really? What are you doing then, Kai? Because to me it looks like you are just running away from your problems when we need you the most."

He turned again and went to go back up the stairs but she quickly marched over, standing in front of him and blocking his path, looking at him squarely with folded arms.

"Nya, get out of my way."

"No. I want to know what has gotten into you. Yes, she's hurt you, I get that."

Cole grimaced as they watched the Master of Fire recoil then recover himself, face rigid with barely held restraint.

"But that is not an excuse to just," she paused, leaning forward slightly and looking Kai directly in the eyes. "To just abandon us. Your family." The silence which followed was momentary and laden with dread.

"Abandon you? You think that's what I'm doing?!" Kai straightened, looming over his sister as he spat the words out angrily. Jay worriedly crept over, standing behind Nya.

"It's ok, Kai. We understand, we,"

"No Jay, I do not. I want to hear it, 'brother'". She raised an eyebrow, hissing the words and rising herself up as she starred unblinking into Kai's eyes, ignoring the danger she could see glinting in that eerie amber glow which still had not dissipated. Jay pulled at her, but she stood her ground refusing to move.

"Come on, Nya. Stop it." But she shrugged the blue clad arm off her.

"I gave up everything for you. I _raised_ you, when I was a child myself." Kai's voice was a low growl, radiating anger. They could see his body tremble as he took a step forward towards his sister, looking down at her, their faces inches from each other as he prodded a finger into her chest.

"I've given _everything_ to this team. Do you honestly think that this is what I want? To just…" He stopped himself short, closing those amber eyes briefly then attempting to push past her, but she spun, catching his arm, not willing to let this drop.

"No! That's not an answer!"

"ENOUGH!"

The whole team spun, seeking the perpetrator of the single roared word to be confronted by the whirlwind that was Ray, angrily marching in and pushing himself in between the two siblings, Wu hot on his heels and Maya not far behind.

"Nya, you will stand down and stop this, now!" The Master of Water immediately deflated, looking down and turning away, walking over to the sofa and collapsing down onto it, Maya quickly joining her and covering her in a warm, comforting hug. Ray stepped over to his son who had sunk down to the floor, rocking on his heels with his face in his hands. Ray crouched down, reaching his own hands over to gently remove Kai's, cupping his son's face and lifting his head up to face him. He frowned as he took in the amber glow, turning to Wu.

"You were right to come and get me so urgently. If his eyes have been fixed like this for as long as you say, I do not know how he has managed to contain himself for so long."

Wu nodded. "What is best, old friend?"

Ray straightened up slowly, helping Kai to stand with him.

"The Fire Temple, I will need a dragon to get him there, quickly." The ninja all looked up, Lloyd stepping forward immediately whilst the others nodded. Nya gasped.

"What is wrong with him?"

"Later, sweetheart. Let us get him there first, then I will do my best to explain. Now, who will take me?" Ray made a formidable figure, salt and pepper hair formed in spikes which his son's own appeared to emulate, light brown eyes searching the room.

Lloyd turned around and took in all the subtle nods, turning back to the former Master of Fire who was holding up the shaking current one.

"We will all go. You and Kai should ride with Cole as he is the strongest, but we will all," he paused and looked at Nya, who nodded weakly. "We will all escort you."

Ray nodded. "Thank you. Then let's go."


	14. Release

**Eek! so many reviews and they are all so lovely!**

 **ArtJunkyard - I agree, I love Ray and Maya, we will be seeing quite a lot of them in upcoming chapters :)**

 **Masters of Fire and Amber, WarriorNerd-000 - you are both way to kind! There are some awesome authors on here and I'm so honoured that you think I'm up there with them. Just thank you :)**

 **Manic waving and thanks going to RPM Shadow, RandomDragon2.0 and Jaell. I hope you are all happy with this chapter, as it's kind of a key one on this little fic (eek, nervous! Really hope you like it and it's not a let down!)**

 **Some great middle name suggestions coming in, keep them coming if you think of anything.**

 _ **Warning**_ **you may want some tissues...**

* * *

 _ **Release**_

Getting Kai onto Cole's dragon and keeping him there proved much more difficult than they had bargained for, the Master of Fire either yelping in pain as he tried to balance his horrifically weakened body or just simply sliding straight back off the dragon's back. Eventually, they elected to sandwich him in-between Cole and Ray, the frowning father clutching hold of his son tightly, cradling his head on his older shoulder whilst supporting his weight, Kai's back to the earth elementals one. Once satisfied that they were not going to lose either father or son, or indeed both, mid-flight, Cole carefully manoeuvred the magnificent, stocky beast into the air, rising up steadily to join the flanks of the other dragons and their elemental masters where they hovered waiting. Wu elected to stay behind with Maya and PIXAL, the trio waving the weyr of dragons off apprehensively, watching and listening as the thundering of their wings disappeared into the distance.

It didn't take them long to reach the Temple of Fire, the gradual increase in air temperature around them heralding their approach. As always, the astoundingly beautiful but formidable temple was blisteringly hot, all of the ninjas except Kai and his father swiping at their brows and huffing in the heat as they landed by the traditional, longstanding gates which stood at the bridge needed to be crossed in order to enter the actual temple. Kai had started to come around more, looking around him uneasily as they landed and accepting Zane's help to dismount his ride, stumbling slightly but keeping upright as he feet hit the warm, acrid soil. The ninja released their dragons, the beasts disappearing with the familiar slight pops and flashes of light, leaving just the ninja gathered around Kai and Ray, who still held onto the former's arm lightly. Kai looked up at the gates, eyes reflecting and matching the glow from the volcanic flames they could see inside the temple, nervously biting on his lip.

"Come, you need to go in." Ray gestured to the gate, and the ninja parted, clearing a path and waiting for the two fire elementals to lead the way, but Kai just stood, staring at the gate.

"I can't do it." He shook his head, turning away. Ray quickly walked around him, forcing his son to look up into his face, Ray's own light brown eyes filled with compassion as he gently lifted Kai's head to look at him.

"Kai. Son. You have to. You're not going to be able to control it much longer." Kai blinked, still staring at the gate, his body trembling slightly.

"If I release, I don't think I will be able to stop. It hurts so much…" Kai suddenly sobbed as Ray reached both hands up to Kai's down turned face, his own hands being shaken by Kai's shuddering.

"I know. FSM, I remember the pain… but you have to do this Kai. We will be safe out here, this is the only place we will be. The volcano will absorb the power into its own fires. Kai," shorter, sharper now, more urgent.

"If you don't, you will end up losing your control elsewhere. And the results… they would be devastating."

The others looked to each other, not really following the conversation but nodding encouragingly as Kai looked at them all, his amber filled eyes ablaze and almost unrecognisable as the same eyes that belonged to their lovable, dork of a brother. These eyes burned, filled with intense pain shining with a bubbling rage, his face rigid with restraint as he suddenly nodded and turned, letting go of his father's grip and walking waveringly over to the gate. Nya softly spoke, looking over to their dad from where she stood with Jay.

"I don't understand. Pain…? You mean emotional pain? Or pain from his wounds?"

Ray whistled softly through his teeth, not taking his eyes off Kai's figure as continued to make his way to the temple entrance.

"Neither. Both. Nya, how does it feel when you access your powers?"

She hummed, looking confused. "Well, like a rush I suppose, like I'm being filled with water, it flows through me."

"And Jay? I'm guessing kind of like a static inside you?"

Jay nodded, grinning. "Yeah, kind of like a tingling, like a charge building up inside me, jumping about and…Oh!" His eyes widened as he looked at Ray. "You mean, when he uses… it…?"

Ray nodded sadly. "I remember it well. It burned me inside, every time I accessed the power. It was exhilarating, incredible… but it feels like you're being burned from the inside out every single time."

They all turned and watched as the figure made it to the doorway, holding onto the rickety, ancient door frame and pausing before he entered.

"But I don't understand what he's going to do in there." Nya's eyes were wide, her hand gesturing to the Temple of Fire.

Lloyd stepped forward, taking Nya's hand.

"Kai has been holding all of the pain and hurt from the last few weeks in, and he's so upset his powers are literally raging." He paused, looking to Ray who gave a curt nod of confirmation. "He needs to release his fire element now, but he's not in full control anymore as it has built up so much inside him. Which is why we're here, so he can release it into an environment which can absorb the fire he will release; the volcano."

Zane took over, his metallic edged voice softening as he spoke, bringing himself to stand the other side of the water elemental.

"But because Kai has been repressing his emotions, allowing them to build inside of him, his powers are going to be magnified and possibly completely uncontrolled. This is why Kai wanted to leave, to try and remove himself from the possibility of harming his loved ones. And it is why he has been repressing his emotions, as he knew if he lost control this could happen. He has been caught in a conundrum, a vicious circle. Needing to release his anger but afraid to do so for fear of hurting us."

Ray nodded sadly. "He is lucky to have you all. Fire and rage are so closely linked, and I've not been here to teach him how to control the two and separate them."

"Oh! I was so awful to him." Nya put her hands up to her face, Ray reaching over and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"You weren't to know what was going on inside of him."

"Erm, I hate to say this, but… are we actually safe here?" Cole's eyes were wide, looking to each ninja before settling on Ray. Ray was about to reply when the sudden flash emanating from the inside of the volcano filled all of their visions, flames billowing out of the doorway and causing the crater to spew and hurtle out fresh lava and a vast blanket of ash which lifted into the air before settling over them all and covering the surrounding vegetation with its sooty residue. They heard the explosion a split second later, followed by a rush of blown out, scolding hot air then a sudden pull of the same air around them being forced back into the temple like a black hole sucking everything in its path into its destructive vacuum. They all looked at each other than ran to the temple as one, rushing across the bridge and through the blazing heat to get to their brother and son.

Kai knelt on the floor, an arm supporting himself against a rock outcrop, eyes tightly closed and panting with exhaustion, Cole's hoodie apparently ruined as they noted the scorch marks running up the sleeves. Nya ran over to him first, kneeling beside her brother and taking him into a huge bear hug, gasping as she felt the residual heat flowing from the elemental's dog-tired body. Kai released his grip on the rocks and held onto her, tears falling from both siblings as she whispered various, affectionate insults into her brother's ear. Eventually Ray shook Nya's arm gently, beckoning Kai to look up so he could see into his eyes. They all audibly breathed a sigh of relief when Kai's eyes looked up and focused, blinking at them with the familiar, deep chocolate brown and small, softly swirling amber flecks.

* * *

The journey back to the monastery was just as difficult as the journey there, Kai being exhausted and having strained himself, exacerbating his injuries and making it more difficult to get him balanced on the patiently waiting earth dragon once again. But they made it, flying into the sunset and home, the low thunder of the dragons' wings as they approached bringing Wu, PIXAL and Misako out into the training yard to greet them as they landed. The dinner Zane and PIXAL had cooked earlier was most definitely ruined so they all agreed that takeout pizza was unquestionably their best option, the tired family gathering in the lounge and gently ribbing each other, Wu, Maya and Misako watching amusedly from the kitchen table.

"He's not out of this yet, is he?" Maya's soft voice broke the three elder's silence, Ray letting go of his tea cup and taking her hand, shaking his head. They watched the ninjas, taking note of how quiet Kai was, present but not really taking part in the tomfoolery which was happening all around him, a sadness seeming to radiate from him. They could see from the occasional anxious glances that the young ninja were not oblivious to this, but they were desperately trying to keep spirits high, Jay initiating a hopeless popcorn fight against Zane whilst Cole and Lloyd screamed into their game controllers, staring at the TV where they were pounding each other on Fists of Fury 3. Around 10pm Kai finally stood up, announcing his need to go to bed and sleep. They nodded, wishing him good night. Just as he hobbled past her Nya looked up, catching his hand and making him pause in his tracks.

"Are you still leaving tomorrow?" Her voice was a whisper but they all heard it, six pairs of eyes looking at him and waiting with baited breaths. He sighed, sinking awkwardly back down into the sofa next to her.

"Nya. I have to."

She looked away, tears welling in her eyes as she sniffed, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Now that's what got me in such a mess in the first place." The red ninja smiled weakly, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"I have to do this Nya. I hate it, but I'm not in a good place, and I need to sort myself out. I feel like I'm literally broken." He took a breath, exhaling slowly.

"My body is wrecked, and my head is just, well. A mess. I've lost myself, and I need to take some time to find out who I am again. To make peace with myself. Please try and understand."

She looked over, gazing into his eyes sadly, nodding.

Lloyd came over, carefully sitting alongside his big brother.

"Take all the time you need. You will always have a place here with is, when you are ready."

Kai nodded, thanking the green ninja, his little brother, with his eyes, the words stuck in his throat but not needing to be spoken. The others all stood and made their way over, enveloping the spiky haired teen, their friend, their brother, in a gentle, multi coloured group hug.

Kai stood shakily as they released him, looking down at his family and smiling.

"I love you guys." And with that he turned and made his way up to his room, detouring and giving Maya a kiss on the cheek as he passed, quietly walking up the stairs and into his room, the lounge so quiet they could hear the soft slide of his door closing shut behind him.


	15. Aching

**Ah I don't know about you guys but I felt the need for a nice, lighter and slightly fluffier chapter! Really hoping you like it. Huge thanks for the reviews again.**

 **RPM Shadow - sorry about that! But I am honoured to have managed to move you with my writing.**

 **RandomDragon2.0 - yep, lots to figure out and he will start to do so properly soon.**

 **Jaell - don't you worry, she's going to be back with a bang very soon!**

 **Masters of Fire and Amber - your wish is yours to keep (!) :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Aching**_

Nya blew out her cheeks with exasperation, turning and looking at the clock on her bedside table. 2.38am. Urgh. Only two minutes later than when she had last looked at it. And ten minutes after she had first looked at it, wide awake and frustrated by her lack of sleep. This was no good, maybe a cup of warm milk would help, maybe with a dash of Cole's secret coco stash inside it.

She slowly started to sit up, the moonlight illuminating Jay's slight frame, face down and snoring lightly into his pillow, one arm dangling over the edge of the bed whilst the other was thrown around her waist, hugging her tightly. She gently relocated his arm, holding her breath as the rhythmic snoring paused as he shuffled himself onto his side, muttering then grabbing an armful of the duvet, hugging it into himself. She relaxed as the snoring recommenced from where it left off, swinging her legs out of the bed and stretching, throwing on her thick, oversized cardigan and making her way to the stairs, tiptoeing in the shadows and deftly avoiding that 5th step which creaked and groaned loudly if you stood in the middle of it.

She grinned as she stepped down from the bottom step of the flight which led to the second floor where hers and Jay's room was, unable to contain the soft snigger as she passed Cole's room, the thunderous snoring of the earth elemental ringing out as loudly as always as she made her way down the corridor, past the main bathroom towards the stairs which led down to the ground floor and the kitchen. She paused as she noted the flickering ray of light across the bamboo fibre matting of the corridor, following it back and noting its origin from under the door of her brother's room. She guessed she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep right now…

* * *

 _He had spotted her in the cheering crowd immediately, smiling up at the group of them as they stood at the top of the stairs leading up to what remained of the Palace of Secrets where they had been concentrating their efforts on helping with the mass tidy up. His heart had almost leapt into his mouth as Nya had beckoned her, along with Pix and Dareth, up alongside them, and he swore everyone must have been able to hear his heart pounding as she stood on the same step as him and danced alongside him, obviously loving "The Weekend Whip" as much as he did. But he'd tried to act cool, and it had all gone so well up until he had bumped into her, nearly sending her flying._

 _But that was when their eyes had met, and they both knew._

 _Finally._

 _Everything changed with that shared look, the shy mutual smiles and the shaky touch of their hands as they danced on the steps. And that look was burned, imprinted into his memory, where it would stay forever._

He looked down at the screen shot of the press photograph he had loaded up on his tablet, captioned underneath _"a deserved celebration for Ninjago's heroes",_ smiling as he looked at them all gathered on the steps together, posing for the photographer with the band members of The Fold just after they had finished singing. Cole had a smiling mouthful of cake (wait, he didn't remember there being cake?), Nya and Jay were hugging each other tightly, Zane and Pix were still dancing. Dareth was doing some kind of gesture behind Lloyd's head with his fingers whilst Wu was looking at the team from the side, pride evident across his once again elderly, wise face. Himself and Skylor were in the middle of the shot, caught up in the middle of the band, faces flushed with happiness as they both roared with laughter as the band members grinned around them.

Kai brought his knees up to his chest where he sat on his bed and hugged them, ignoring the little nag of pain in his chest as he leant down, the tablet discarded onto the bed next to him and leaning his chin on his knees, gazing out of his window at the moon.

They had shared their first proper kiss that night. They had kissed before, once as a shy, egged on peck as they had both somehow found themselves under the mistletoe someone had managed to sneak up above the doorway to Master Chen's when they had been on their way out a couple of Christmases ago (his money was on Lloyd to thank for that one). And once again after a few too many sakes on his part, a night probably best not thinking about too much…

But this had been it. The full shebang. Fireworks, head spinning, time stopping…the works.

 _They had been sat with the team at the top of those same steps, watching the firework display which had been put on, just sitting close and chatting easily about everything and nothing. They had both looked around surprised, blinking at each other as they realised that everyone had left, neither of them remembering when any of the other ninja had gotten up and gone… The fireworks had continued to whizz and pop over them, and they could hear the distant sounds of the Ninjago residents happily cheering and laughing as they celebrated their returned freedom, but it had faded away as she had leaned into him, smiling up at him and holding his hand tightly. Running his own hand gently into her silky hair he had pulled her towards him, lifting her face up to his as he leant down and kissed her, an overwhelming feeling that this was the one thing he had ever done in his life that just felt completely and utterly right. The initial kiss small and gentle, their eyes both fluttering open slightly as they parted, noses still touching as they breathed headily into each other, silently gazing at each other before their lips entwined again, more urgently this time but still sweetly; a long, overwhelming, passionate kiss as they finally realized the relationship they had both been dancing and sauntering around for years._

The memories making him slightly flustered, Kai picked up the tablet again, swiping through his photos until he came to one of his favourites of her, caught when she was unaware, gazing into the distance, a small smile on her lips, cheeks lightly blushed and eyes sparkling, her beautiful thick red hair tousled around her shoulders by the wind. His heart ached.

"Kai?"

The voice was soft, quietly trying not to wake anyone.

"Kai, can I come in?"

He put the tablet back down, whispering back to his sister. "Sure, come in."

She slid the door over, padding into his room, obviously as awake as he was.

"Can't sleep either, huh?" He nodded and shuffled over carefully as she came and sat beside him, picking up the tablet and looking at the photo which was still open. He looked away, looking back out of his window.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" He turned back to Nya, taking the tablet as she offered it, nodding slowly as he took in the picture again.

"We will find her for you, Kai. And we'll help her sort out whatever it is that Garmadon's powers are doing to her. She's a good person, one of the best."

"But what if I can't sort myself out?"

Nya looked up at him then laid her head on his shoulder.

"You will. You just need time. Come on, let's have a look at some of these." She swiped across the touch screen, grinning at the next photo of the masters of fire and amber goofing off at the camera together.

"Wait, there's nothing dodgy on here that I really don't want to see is there?" She looked up, mocking her brother who grinned back down at his little sister.

"No. You're perfectly safe. You wanted my mobile for that..." He chuckled as he earned himself a soft punch on the arm, followed by a _ewww._

"Here, look at this one." He took the tablet back into his albums menu, loading up a picture of Jay covered head to toe in soot, hair and eyes wilder than normal as he appeared to be screaming profanities at Kai who was behind the camera. Nya giggled, sinking herself back down and snuggling into her brother's chest as they started looking at the photos together, quietly laughing and chatting together as they swiped through a ninja's lifetime of memories.

* * *

The other members of the team and their parents had all peeked in through Kai's open door as they had risen in the morning and filed past on their way downstairs to the kitchen and lounge, each unable to stop themselves smiling as they took in the sleeping siblings curled up together on the Master of Fire's bed, tablet lying discarded on Kai's legs whilst his sister was snuggled onto his chest. "Just as they always used to." Maya had commented to Ray, smiling as they softly walked on, leaving the two to sleep in peace.


	16. For Love and Bacon

**Ah, I'm so glad you all liked the fluff! Big, huge, gigantic thank yous for all your amazing reviews! I thought it was time to step the story up another gear... hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **For _L_ ove and Bacon.**_

As soon as the door closed behind them, she turned and revealed herself, her true self, shaking out her shaggy, purple hair and cracking her neck as she shrugged herself back into her own form. She quickly walked over to the bed where Garmadon lay, eyes tightly closed and breathing slow and rhythmic, punctuated by the monitor's beep from next to the prison infirmary bed. She frowned, taking one of the four hands and sitting herself down next to the bed, leaning in and watching the unresponsive face of her chosen master.

"Things are going well, my Lord. Skylor grows stronger with your power each day. Soon we will be ready for the transfer. Then we can start moving them in…" She looked over to the red-haired figure who still stood by the door and beckoned her over. The Master of Amber looked down at the Master of Form, indifference sweeping across her face, purple eyes glowing. She raised an eyebrow then walked over to the bed, taking another hand and closing her eyes, concentration furrowing her brow.

"Thank you, my child."

The voice was deep, almost guttural. And not the Master of Amber's usual smooth purr. She jumped back slightly then blinked at Chamille in surprise, flashes of green shining under the long, dark lashes before the purple shone through again. She snatched her hand away from Garmadon's, staring at the motionless form lying before her.

"It's time to go, Chamille." They both stood, concentrating on their forms as they called the guards back over to unlock the door and let them back out.

"Well that was a mightily quick visit, but I guess you're probably busy saving Ninjago!" The guard chuckled as the two ninja pushed their way past him and out into Kryptarium prison's corridor, the green clad one shuffling quickly away, tossing the blonde hair behind them whilst the red one looked over their shoulder, grinning.

"Something like that."

* * *

Kai narrowed his eyes, sighing as he looked towards the rising sun, it's deep red colour filtering through the mist which clung to the rocky, acrid landscape surrounding the village. He leant back against the old cherry tree at the top of the little hill behind "Four Weapons", one hand absentmindedly fiddling with the crisp, fallen leaves piled around him.

It had been a couple of weeks since he had left the monastery to stay with his parents whilst he firstly tried to heal, secondly get a grip of himself and then thirdly try and work out where he was going with his life. The team had been brilliant, showering him with quietly meaningful hugs and fist bumps that last morning, no one judging him or making him feel guilty (FSM knows he already carried enough of that) as he had climbed into the back of the car, his dad driving with Maya in the front, not daring to look behind him as they had driven away and down the winding mini mountain which the monastery sat proudly atop, heading south towards the warmer climate of Ignacia.

Those first weeks had passed in a crazy blur of sleep, meds and more sleep, Maya insisting on her son not lifting a finger as his body began to recover. The doctor had been pleased when he had checked him over before they left, removing the valve used to re-inflate his collapsed lung and giving strict instructions to attend his clinic in three weeks so his progress could be monitored. But Kai felt stronger, his ribs no longer hurting every time he moved and the bruising now fading out. But the emotional wounds were taking longer…

A small smile snaked across him as he felt the warmth of the sunlight breaking through and basking over him. He tried to remember the last time he had felt truly happy, thinking through and trying to make sense of the memories surfacing and jumbling in his tired mind. A vision of an injured little Lloyd came to mind, his ankle still healing after injuring it on the Dark Island, standing awkwardly and making his way into the kitchen of the Bounty. Kai laughed quietly as he remembered himself standing up quickly and leaping after his younger brother, clutching him around the waist and shouting Cole over to join him in a conga line, the muttering and hobbling golden ninja being forced to lead the rapidly growing conga train to the kitchen as Kai beckoned the others over to join them as they passed, singing out "Come on and do the conga, do- do-do -dooo…"

"I thought I might find you out here." Ray made Kai jump, turning to look at his smiling dad as he came and crouched down next to him, also looking out and taking in the now nearly risen sun alongside of him.

"I can remember playing here with Nya."

Ray nodded, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Yes, you two were always out here. You terrorising your sister most of the time with whatever creature you had managed to find to scare her with." Ray chuckled, taking in his own memories.

"You know, this is where I proposed to your mother." Kai looked up, surprised.

"No, I didn't know that."

"Yes, right here. In the spring. It was beautiful, all the blossom falling around her." Ray continued looking out to the sun, the smile lighting up the soft lines in his face. "We married the next year, you arrived the year after." They both quietly looked out, Kai watching the swirling tendrils of the mist as it started to lift, reflecting the sun's rays.

"How did you know?" Kai softly broke the comfortable silence, the question virtually whispered but filled with emotion.

Ray looked over and settled himself down into the leaves, sitting close to his son.

"That she was the one?" Kai nodded, eyes bright and reflecting the sunlight, amber swirling slowly around his irises. Ray could see the pain and confusion held within them.

"It's hard to put into words, but I just knew. She was, and still is, the most amazing woman I have ever known. She has to be to put up with me, you know?" Kai just smiled and looked down; Ray gave a sigh.

"I came to realise that the more I got to know her, the more I wanted to know about her. I couldn't face the thought of not having her by my side. I realised that she filled a gap in my life that I hadn't even realised was there."

"She completes you."

Ray nodded, pausing. "And this is how you feel about Skylor?"

"Dad!" The words were hissed, Kai's cheeks flushing, then he took a breath and looked away, sighing.

"Yeah. No… Aargh, who am I kidding?! Yes, without a doubt, yes. But this is all such a… mess. It's all a huge mess, worse than under Jay's bed."

Ray chuckled, turning and looking at his bewildered son.

"Give yourself time. Fate has mysterious ways of working; they will find her and if it is meant to be it will be."

"But what if they don't? And they, we, can't save her?" His voice a low tremble, Kai looked away, unable to look at his father.

"I do not know her well, but what I do know of her is that her heart is pure. That is the most important thing, as her heart is what drives her and is her true self. As long as her heart is true, she can be saved." Ray stood, ruffling his son's spikes gently. "Are you coming in for breakfast?"

Kai bat his dad's hand away, looking up into the soft, concerned eyes and smiled lowly.

"Yeah. Just give me a minute." Ray nodded, turning as he began walking back in the direction of the shop. "Just don't be too long or I may eat all of the bacon!"

Kai laughed, looking out over the rocky hills surrounding Ignacia.

"As if mom would let you!"


	17. Bargaining

**Your reviews make me smile! Thank you to you all and hello to my new followers!**

 **A slight bit of steamy fluff, a bit of angst... a little chapter but it's a bit of a rollercoaster... Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Bargaining**_

 _She grabbed his hand, twisting and pushing her shoulder into his and then throwing him hard over onto his back, her red hair floating up behind her as she kiai'd, her face an unreadable mask of concentration. He adjusted himself slightly and landed gracefully, grabbing her arm which she had left unchecked, pulling her with him. She compensated, throwing her weight forward and using her momentum to push herself headlong into a tight forward roll, taking him with her. They tumbled together then came to a stop with her pressed down hard on top of him, both panting from the exertion. She lowered her face as she pushed down harder into him, nose inches from his, hair billowing around her._

 _"_ _Yield?"_

 _Kai nodded, taking a deep breath, unable to take his eyes from her. They heard Sensei Wu congratulate the pair on a good kumite session, and they heard the sound of the others making their way out of the dojo, having been dismissed, but neither of the pair moved. He didn't even acknowledge Jay's quip which he merrily directed at them about "playing carefully" as he closed the dojo doors, the Master of Fire unable to take his eyes away from the Master of Amber's fierce gaze. The sound of the door softly sliding to broke their trance, and he swiftly slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her towards him, his face intense as their lips collided. She moaned softly, deepening the kiss, one hand finding his and clasping it tightly by his side whilst the other snaked into his hair. He closed his eyes as she gently but insistently moved her efforts down his neck, tracing the curve of his Adam's apple. His breath quickened irrepressibly as she lent up slightly, re-finding his lips. As she pulled away he slowly opened his eyes…_

 _And screamed._

* * *

Kai bolted upright in his bed, panting and feeling the sweat clinging to him, the sheets tousled and tangled around him. He frowned as he noticed the landing light flicking on, realising he must have screamed out loud, again. A groan escaped him as the door pushed open and his mom came in, although he couldn't hear what she was saying to him.

All he could hear was _her_ laughter echoing in his mind, a cruel, viscous laughter… and her face…Her beautiful features melting away in the fire she had created, engulfing them both, suffocating him in it's heat and intensity, her skin dripping and revealing the dark, sharp, malice filled features of an oni underneath as the world burned away around them.

He rubbed a hand over his face, looking up and realising his mom was now sat on the edge of his bed, a concerned hand resting on his arm as she leaned over, gently brushing a stray spike out of his eyes. She looked to her side and he realised his dad was also stood in his room, and he threw himself back into his pillow, groaning once again.

"Sorry."

Maya stood up, patting his arm. "You've nothing to apologise for. Can I get you anything?" Kai shook his head. Maya and Ray exchanged glances as she made her way past him and back out of Kai's small childhood bedroom, Ray nodding and grabbing the chair which was in the corner of the room and parking himself on it, next to his son's bed. He propped a leg up on his other knee, leaning back into the chair, holding onto his calf and just waited. It took a while, but eventually Kai shuffled himself back up against his pillows, the silvery light from the quarter moon delicately lighting up his features, so similar to those of the elder sat next to him. He looked over to his dad.

"I don't know what to say."

Ray leaned forward, releasing his calf from his grip and planting both feet firmly on the floor.

"This is the fourth nightmare this week,"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Kai cut in, taking his attention back to the view out of his window.

"Like your mother said, you don't need to apologise. But you need to let us help you."

The teen's shoulders drooped as he sighed. "What do you want me to say? I'm trying to make sense of it all,"

"We know this, Kai."

"and FSM I'm trying to work out whether I need to hate her or forgive her, whether I need to just forget her and move on, but if I do that how to do it… ? And I don't know if I'm being the biggest jerk out there as I've just abandoned my, my team…" voice shaking now, and rising slightly. "And I just don't know if I can do it anymore anyway! I hate my powers, how she used them and what she nearly did! I can't trust myself with them, and I…I don't want them anymore!"

The last statement shouted as he snatched his arm away from his dad as he reached over and tried to comfort his son, the latter turning away and staring furiously at his reflection in the window which was lit by the swirling amber in his eyes. Ray was not going to give up that easily, and he eased himself down on the bed, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder then pulling him into a deep, reassuring hug, patting his son's back gently as he felt the sobs finally release, soaking into his pyjamas. They held onto each other tightly until Ray felt his son's clutch on him loosen, the wreaking sobs finally slowing. Kai sat upright, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and sniffing.

"Kai, your powers,"

Kai cut him off again. "I don't want them, dad."

Ray took a deep breath and looked into his son's eyes, frowning at the resolute expression he was met with.

"Kai…"

"No. I don't want them. I can't stand what they can do, and I don't trust myself with them. Can't you take them back?"

"Kai you can't be serious?" Ray stood up, watching as Kai swung his legs round, throwing off the sheets and standing alongside him.

"I am. I'm not sure how it works, but I know it can be done…it's how Zane got his. We can research it…Please, you know how to control them. I can't… I can't right now. But you can, please." Kai took his dad's hand, looking up into the slightly taller man's eyes.

"Please. I can't take them anymore."

Ray took hold of both Kai's hands in his own and raised them to his face, looking his son directly in the eyes.

"Kai, my time as their master is gone. They are yours. Giving them away will not ease your pain."

Kai hung his head.

"Son, you know this."

The spikes shook gently as Kai slowly nodded, not looking up. After a few minutes of silence between them he looked up, biting his lip, fresh tears silently coursing down his cheeks.

"Then will you help me get some vengestone?"

Ray blew his cheeks out, appraising his son wordlessly, then nodded.

"Okay, if you think it will help you then yes. We'll find you some vengestone."


	18. An Apple a Day

**Oof, it feels like its been so long since I've updated this! But here it is!**

 **Huge thank yous to my lovely, lovely reviewers who always make me smile and keep me going! Shout outs to Jaell, RPM Shadow, RandomDragon2.0. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **An Apple a Day…**_

Days turned into hazy weeks, the autumnal winds becoming the chillier, crisper winds of winter. Kai had fallen numbly into a steady routine within the quiet, sleepy village which was now resting after the mayhem of the rice harvest had finished. Much to Maya's dismay, Ray had located and crafted a simple vengestone bracelet, which Kai religiously wore under Cole's unreturned black hoodie. The nightmares continued, but they were becoming less frequent. Ray and Maya had disagreed over whether this was a good sign or not; Kai did not particularly care. The nightmares did not affect whether he slept or not, it was a given that he would not. All the nightmares changed was whether or not he awoke his parents with his screams and, much as he tried not to, crying. If he was awake, he could control that. So most nights he would sit on his little bed and stare out of his window, mind busy but not thinking, occasionally lapsing into brief moments of sleep before his body jerked itself awake again, before he was able to fully relax and allow the nightmares and the flames to take over again…

He stretched and yawned as he reached into the bucket of feed and scattered it, smiling weakly and clucking as the chickens eagerly ran over and started pecking and scrabbling over the grain. This was his morning routine now; up first, straight out to tend to the clacking, often comical group, feeding them and checking their coop for eggs. He would sometimes stop and quietly watch his mom completing her daily tai chi routine, noting her grace and faultless, nimble renditions of the elegant katas, knowing now where Nya got her refinement and precision from. He knew the katas, silently counting with her and pre-empting the movements, but unable to bring himself to join her. Today he watched for a few moments then moved onto his next routine, depositing the eggs into the kitchen then trudging back out to go and sit under the tree until the sun had fully risen and it was time to help his dad restoke the fires in the workshop for the day.

Today was cold, and he pulled the old grey woollen coat he had stolen from his dad's wardrobe closer, turning the collar up around him and shoving his hands deeper into the pockets. He dimly wondered what the date actually was, not remembering when he had last charged his phone (the new one that the others had sent on to him to replace the broken…lost…his old one) or taken any notice of anything going on beyond the confines of the sleepy village. He leaned back against the familiar, solid trunk of the tree, gazing out to the now empty, slightly frosted over paddy fields, narrowing his eyes and looking out towards the sleepy sun now peeking over the horizon and casting long shadows across the landscape, mind whirling but not thinking.

The sudden flash had him sat bolt upright immediately, automatically reaching behind him for the hilt of the katana which was no longer there and groaning inwardly as he realised, eyes hunting for the source of the alien flash. The whole paddy field below him to his left lit up again and he turned towards it, jumping up as his eyes locked onto the cloaked figure crouched at the edge where the flash had emanated from. Before he knew what he was doing he was running down to the field, falling into a ready guard stance as he halted a few feet behind the stooped, hooded figure. He jumped as another flash lit them both up, causing him to lose his balance slightly in the wet ditch at the side of the field, cursing as his foot plunged into the cold wet, the figure suddenly straightening up as they became aware of his stumbling presence behind them. Kai bit his lip and shook himself back into his stance, head held high.

"Who are you?" He knew everyone in this village, and this hooded and cloaked figure was not one of them. The laughter which emanated from deep within the hood as they turned towards him made him bite his lip harder, ignoring the rising tendrils within. He leaned forward, keeping his stance.

"I said, who are you?"

The figure threw back their head, unchecked laughter gushing out as the hood fell back, revealing a massive shock of loose, black curls with streaks of electric blue shining through underneath, the figure all pale skin and wide open, smiling mouth as they gulped in huge lungsful of air trying to quell their laughter. The figure placed one hand on their hips, putting the camera they were holding down safely on the narrow pathway, obviously attempting to get themselves together.

"I am so sorry, I've been so rude, laughing at you like that!" The tall, dark haired girl held out a hand to the bemused ex-ninja, her smile lighting up her wide, hazel eyes behind the dark brimmed glasses.

"I'm Ringo."

"Ringo?"

"Yeah, it means…"

"Apple, in the ancient language."

She grinned. "You know it! That's great, but, erm, why are you stood like that…?"

Kai quickly brought himself out of his stance, hesitantly closing the gap between them and shaking her still outreached hand.

"Erm, sorry, I'm Kai. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Kai" She grinned again, curls bouncing around her. She looked to be a similar age to him, but he'd never seen her or heard of her before…

Reading his mind she laughed yet again, the noise loud and echoing in his mind, bouncing around it; it felt like had been so long since he had heard such a carefree and happy sound. "I'm visiting my aunt and uncle, thought I'd get some of my uni work done whilst the light was so…mysterious and all magical. And I've got this _stuuupid_ assignment to do where I have to photograph the alphabet in nature, and the frost out here on the paddy fields was so good, and the reflections were so… oh I'm babbling! Sorry!" Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her camera, scooping it up and fiddling with its settings, her movements as bouncy as her hair. Suddenly, it all fell into place.

"You're studying at Ninjago Uni? Photography?"

"Yes, and yes!" The grey cloak billowed around her, opening up slightly and revealing glimpses of her petite frame underneath as she deftly reached up and clicked, taking a photo of Kai, mouth wide open and unready. She sniggered as she looked at the screen, turning it around and showing it to her still shocked victim.

"Oh, you've got to delete that, please!" She snorted, pressing the delete button and smiling.

"Of course."

"Your aunt and uncle are Karin and James? From the house on the edge of the lake?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"This really is a small place, isn't it? And it's not really a lake…"

It was his turn to laugh, the sound feeling unfamiliar, making him pause and blink. He looked up at her, laughing again at her bemused face. "No, more of a glorified puddle, but, you know, small village an all…" They both laughed.

"Well, my stay here looks like it's gotten a little more interesting!" She beamed, eyes shining happily. "Can I meet up with you? Sometimes? While I'm here? I mean, everyone else here seems nice and all that, but… kinda…old…And you seem interesting." She looked up hopefully, and he smiled. She was right, everyone was either older or way younger, not much fun for a city loving student.

"I don't know about me being interesting, but yeah, of course. I'll be up helping my dad in Four Weapons. The blacksmiths." Her infectious smile lit up her face again as she literally bounced from one foot to the other.

"Great! Ooh I bet I could get some great photos in there! I'd better go before my aunt thinks I've died or something, but I'll see you soon!" And with that she was off, lolloping back up the pathway towards the house by the lake, Kai scratching his head and wondering what just happened before smiling and turning back to his parents'. He quickened his pace as he wondered what his mom would have made for breakfast today, his stomach growling, smiling to himself at the sensation he had not felt for quite some time.

* * *

She parried the blows with ease, neatly dodging and countering head strike, body strike, spin kick… Even in the dim light of the warehouse the red head stepped back from them effortlessly, suddenly stepping forward and spinning, hitting her opponent with a devastating butterfly kick, purple sparks showering around them. Chamille laughed, holding out her hand to help up the floored oni, nodding as it flickered itself back into the shape of the green ninja once more. She locked eyes with the glittering purple ones.

"Ready?"

The red hair swung around her shoulders as Skylor nodded, readying her stance to take on the oni again. _"Ready."_


	19. Alignment

**It's a short one, but a necessary chapter... hope I don't confuse you all too much! Next chapter promises to be much longer...Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Alignment**_

"Nothing Jay! There has been nothing! Zero, zilch… Not. A. Single. Thing. No messages, no chirps…Nothing!"

Cole watched the two, a part of him amused at the apparent role reversal the couple had undergone, Jay sitting quietly whilst Nya blew off some steam. Another part of him wanting to scream and stamp alongside her, equally concerned by her brother's complete disappearance off the face of the realm. Although that was not strictly true…

"Nya, it's not like we don't know where he is, listen to what your dad just told you, he's alive, he's working, he's…well, he's trying to get his head sorted out. And things like that take time, you know? And… well, you know how stubborn Kai can be…"

"Just WHAT is _THAT_ supposed to mean?" Jay visibly winced, shooting a pleading SOS to Cole, who treacherously just shrugged and mouthed an apology back.

"Hey, guys, come on, cut it out." Jay flashed a small, thankful smile to the green ninja as he walked past, patting the blue shoulder discreetly as he grabbed the coffee jug and poured himself his third cup of the morning. "Come on, Nya, you know we're all worried about him."

The water elemental deflated, sinking back down into her chair at the table from where she had stood, shaking a hand through her ponytail and sighing, putting her toast back down on her plate.

"I'm sorry, this is just so hard, not being able to _do_ anything. And not being able to find any sign of her! I mean, seriously? How can a person disappear so _well_?"

They all looked down, Lloyd watching the swishing of his coffee as he gently stirred sugar in it. Jay picked at his nails whilst Cole drummed his fingers.

"Maybe Zane and Pix will have found something this morn…" the word hung in the air as the door flung open, stopping Cole in his tracks. The two nindroids trudged in, Pix wrapped up against the cold in her overcoat whilst Zane chose to simply go out in his normal gi, his element helping him to not feel the early December bite.

"I'm afraid there is nothing of interest to report. We encountered two minor lootings and assisted one elderly citizen with resetting his boiler. On the whole a very peaceful night in Ninjago City with no sign of Skylor or other suspicious activity. Thank you, Lloyd." Zane graciously accepted the offered hot mug of coffee, kicking off his boots and sinking down next to PIXAL where she cradled hers.

Nya dropped her head onto the table, banging her fist upon the worn oak top. "This is seriously ridiculous. Everything about this is just ridiculous!" She sprang up suddenly, nearly knocking her chair and Lloyd over with it. "I'm going to the workshop." They all watched the raven ponytail swinging furiously as she made her way out, grabbing her coat and stuffing her feet into her boots without saying another word, stomping out to tinker with whatever she was currently focussing her efforts on. She had been spending a lot of time in the workshop recently.

"Huh… I guess I'd better go see if she's ok, although she sure reminds me of her brother when she's like this." They nodded silently as Jay nervously laughed and grabbed his own overcoat and thrust his feet into his boots.

"Err, Lloyd?" The blonde looked up, meeting the nervous, electric blue eyes as Jay wrapped his woolly orange scarf around himself.

"What if… what if Kai doesn't get his head right? What if he doesn't come back? What will it do to her?" He blinked rapidly, pulling the scarf tighter before looking down and swallowing.

 _"_ _What will it do to us?"_

* * *

"How soon until she is ready?" The words were hissed, filled with venom. Inside, she crumbled under the dark, unblinking stare but she forced herself to narrow her eyes, brushing her purple hair back behind her ears as she straightened and looked the oni directly into it's glowering, seemingly bottomless eyes.

"She virtually is. We will be ready to make our move as soon as I am assured that _you_ are."

The dark, rippling figure stood, rising to its full height above her, eyes gleaming with malevolence. Chamille pushed her chair to the floor, leaning over and staring directly into the oni's deep, black eyes.

"You forget your place, Kuro." She hissed, pointing a finger up at the glowering demon.

Kuro's dark eyes narrowed as he took in the Master of Form, sinking his dark shape back into his own chair and leaning forward.

"I do not forget; you are descendant of the first of us to walk from the north-easterly realm. We do not forget."

Chamille nodded curtly. "Good. Now, how many of the oni have been assembled?"

"The majority. There are just some who have absconded; they will be obliterated as soon as this realm is taken. But she needs to be in full control of his power before we can transfer it back to him." They both looked over to the sleeping form laying on the mattress in the corner of the room, only her glistening red hair visible from under the blanket she had cocooned herself in.

"She nearly is. Do not worry yourself with her. I will confirm the date for the transference soon, you just make sure all of the oni are ready and in their places."

Kuro nodded, getting up and flickering into a less conspicuous human form as he threw open the warehouse door and exited, nodding to Chamille as he slammed the door shut. Skylor stayed still, working hard to keep her breathing deep and rhythmic, desperately mimicking the breaths of someone sleeping, all the while screwing her eyes up tightly under the dirty blanket. What had she gotten herself into? Thoughts were whirring through her head, making her dizzy and nauseous to the stomach. She bit her lip, drawing blood and making her gip under the cover. She heard Chamille moving away from the table, moving away from where she lay, and she allowed herself to relax slightly, rolling onto her back and staring blankly at the murky, cobweb laden girders above her. The early morning light was starting to filter through the windows above her, the dust sparkling and spiralling down towards her. She sighed inwardly, tears starting to pool in the corners of her green eyes as her mind started to replay the jumbled flashes and jolts of the last weeks, or was it months, of memories, gasping as she saw his face… and unable to stop the moan as she saw the purple start to re-cloud over her vision, swirling and reasserting its grip over the Master of Amber.


	20. Eclectic Tastes

**Thank you for the reviews again! I can't believe the amount of views this story has had now. It's time to catch up with Kai and Ringo...**

* * *

 _ **Eclectic Tastes**_

The morning passed through into the afternoon in its usual hot and sweaty fashion in the smithy, Ray patiently trying to show Kai how to forge the perfect wakizashi, Kai groaning in frustration as he laid yet another imperfect blade onto the anvil face after pulling it from the quench tank.

"Ah, it's not cooled evenly again Kai, so it's warped. No matter, you'll get there." The elder patted the younger on the shoulder before turning back to polishing the katana he was finishing off.

"She's beautiful, dad." Kai leaned over, admiring the ornate engraving Ray had embellished patiently into the back of the sword, the pattern reminding him of the twisting and spiralling of flames. The design had been continued into the finely carved, sanded and oiled wood of the hilt.

"Here, try her."

"What? Uh…" Kai nearly didn't catch the deftly tossed over weapon as Ray caught him off guard. But as soon as his hand gripped the hilt, fingers sliding into the carved grooves and wood warming under his palm, spontaneous reflexes pulled Kai into a quick kata sequence. He completed the set perfectly poised with the katana held aloft, high above his head, as he held a long stance, the weight of the sharpened steel balanced perfectly by bladesmith and swordsman alike.

"Wow!"

They both turned to see Ringo stood in the doorway of the workshop, mouth open, eyes shining gleefully as she clutched her camera. Kai flushed, dropping his stance and awkwardly handing the katana back over to his dad.

"Ringo… uh, hi! This is my dad, err, dad this is Ringo. She's staying with her aunt and uncle." Ray wiped his hand on the cloth by his feet, leaning over and shaking her hand warmly.

"Yes, I did hear you were visiting Ignacia. Nice to meet you."

She graciously smiled, grabbing a handful of long black curls and pushing them up and back from her face, looking back to Kai as she tucked the wild hair behind her ears, the blue shining through from underneath.

"So, you know some martial arts?" Kai scratched the back of his head, looking flustered and avoiding his dad's amused gaze as he muttered. "Yeah, a bit."

"That's so cool!" She did not notice Kai's squirming as her eyes darted around the workshop, taking in all of the tools and half forged weapons. "This place is so cool…"

His dad rescued him, smiling softly as he stood, looking over at the fidgeting teen.

"Kai, why don't you go get washed up? Take the rest of the day off and show Ringo around." Ringo turned and grinned, pushing her glasses back up onto her nose as they slid down slightly.

"That would be brilliant! Thank you, uh…"

"Ray. You can call me Ray."

"Ray. Thank you! Can I take some pictures whilst I wait?" Kai turned and gladly escaped through the doorway to the living area of the building, slightly bemused and chuckling to himself at the excited noises Ringo was making as she snapped away with her camera, giving his mom a quick, oil smudged kiss on the cheek as he passed by her on his way to his room.

* * *

They spent the next few days getting to know each other with ease, her laughter and vivacity infectious. Even though Kai could not quite bring himself to fully lose himself and laugh wholeheartedly alongside her, he found her presence uplifting, her vibrant and often chaotic take on life helping to lift him even if he remained somewhat guarded. They met up each afternoon that week, Kai taking her out to the various haunts within the small village, Ringo always armed with her camera and ready with discussion on which ever nonsensical topic took her fancy at the time, before returning to her aunt and uncle's house ready in time for their tea.

So when she suddenly laid down next to him on the Friday evening in the moonlight, Cole's playlist on the ninjas' shared BorgMusic account blaring through his earphones as he laid under the cherry tree watching the stars, Kai near enough jumped out of his skin.

"Huh, sorry. Didn't mean to make you jump." She shrugged as she laid down. "Whatcha listening to?"

Kai blinked, shook his head and smiled, detangling his left earbud from the scarf he had stolen from his dad and handing it over. She listened, head nodding as the beat to _Incubus, Wish You Were Here_ kicked in.

"An oldie but a goodie, I'm impressed." They laid silently next to each other, listening to the music, Kai continuing with his star gazing. He could just make out that Ringo had her eyes closed when he snuck a look over; she had wrapped herself tightly in her thick coat and knitted scarf, her floppy woolly hat barely containing the mass of wild curls, humming softly and furry booted foot tapping to the rhythm as she laid next to him. She sat up slightly, making a grab for his BorgPhone and scrolling through the playlist.

"Hey! Personal space, you know?" She raised an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"Oh, come on Kai, it's only a playlist. I'm not going to start going through your phone. Hey there's some really good stuff on here." She continued scrolling down, reading out names of songs and nodding, clicking onto one of the many Muse tracks on the playlist.

"This is a pretty eclectic list, it's brilliant…" she paused as she scrolled to the top of the list, taking note of the playlist title.

"Yeah, this "Cole" has really good taste." Kai winced and turned away, but the small movement did not go unnoticed. She pulled the thick, woolly scarf away from her mouth and laid back down, looking out to the stars with him silently, listening as Matt continued to sing on through the earphones about _undisclosed desires_.

"So, is this Cole your boyfriend?"

"What!?" Wide eyed he sat up, the laughter immediately bursting from him, bringing tears to his eyes. "FSM no! He's a friend. More than a friend… he means a lot to me." The look of utter confusion on Ringo's face halted him, and he laughed again.

"We're close; he's like a brother to me." Ringo smiled, sitting up alongside him, clutching her arms around her knees.

"Ok. So if it's not this Cole you are escaping from, who is it?" Kai sighed, looking over at her as she held his gaze.

"You don't have to tell me, I'm sorry, I'm being nosey and over stepping my mark as usual. But… aw hell… I'm escaping someone. Can I tell you about them?"

Kai took his phone back, turning down the music before softly answering. "Sure."

Ringo paused, then pushed her glasses back up onto her nose and tucked an escaped mass of curls back behind her ears and into her hat.

"Well, she's not on my course, she's on the modern languages one. Dawn. I met her through my roommate. She's got this cute, long blonde hair with these pink bits in which she wears in plaits, gorgeous smile, curves which are just…you know? Hmm… and the way she speaks, uh, she could just be talking to me… I could listen to her forever." Kai smiled, watching as Ringo grew more and more animated, eyes shining with happiness.

"But then I went and told her, didn't I. And I've not seen her since. She ran a mile…"

"Ah that sucks."

"I know, right? I blew it. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut, and now she won't even answer my texts. Damn fool." The curls worked their way loose again as Ringo shook her head, her mouth set. They sat wordlessly for a while, Kai fiddling with the cable of his earphones whilst Ringo buried her face back into her scarf, hugging her knees fiercely, the silence between them comforting.

"So what does she look like?"

Kai put his earphones down as Ringo broke the silence, looking over to her as she pushed the slipping glasses back up on the bridge of her nose again.

"Who says 'she' is a 'she'?"

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she immediately snorted in response, laughing loudly.

"Yeah, it could very well be a 'he' but I don't think it is. So come on, describe her for me."

He sat up and leaned back on the tree trunk, looking out to the dark, moonlit paddy fields below them. He took a deep breath.

"She's got really long, red hair. She normally scrapes it up, in a high ponytail, because it's so thick. But its shiny, and soft. She should wear it down more often." He paused, sighing, then smiled, looking out into the distance. "She's got really pale skin and these deep, green eyes. She's intelligent, and funny, and she never gives up." Blowing his cheeks out, "She's got the most incredible laugh, and the way she moves, is just…" He looked over to Ringo, meeting her eyes. "You could listen to Dawn speak for hours, I could watch Skylor for hours." They both blinked, roaring with laughter together, Kai putting a hand over his eyes as he realised what he had said.

"FSM, that sounded so creepy." He peered over his hand at Ringo, grimacing and smirking at the same time.

"It's ok, I know what you mean. She sounds kinda hot."

"Oh, she is."

"So, what happened? Did she dump you?"

Kai shook his head, looking down. "No... No. It's just really, really complicated."

Ringo put a hand on his knee, smiling gently. "There should be nothing complicated about love."

He stood, holding out a hand to help Ringo up. "Come on, let's go back to my parent's, it's getting really cold out here now." She nodded as she realised she could see her breath and they trudged back along the path together.

"How come you came out here tonight anyway?" She turned to him and smiled, linking an arm through his.

"I wanted to ask you a favour, really."

"Ask away."

"I've got this end of term exhibition on Tuesday, and I'm really nervous. Will you come with me to the opening night?"

"Me? I don't know the first thing about art and, well, arty type stuff."

"You don't need to. You've just, really listened, you know? Over this last week…"

He looked over, taking in the rapidly blinking, downcast eyes and the slight stutter in her words. They hadn't known each other long, but he recognised a kindred spirit within her, one which was hurting and needed support, which she had been covering up with loud and bubbly personality. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards him in a half hug.

"Of course I'll come."

She beamed, an enthusiastic "really?!" tumbling from her as she grabbed him and hugged him back, loose curls bouncing as she skipped excitedly.

"Yes, really."

"Aw, thanks Kai."

Kai pulled his own scarf tighter around himself, shuddering slightly as the cool wind blew around them, the only noise their boots crunching on the rapidly icing up ground as they made their way arm in arm towards the glow of Four Weapons.


	21. Road Trips and Curses

**Well we are starting to rattle towards the conclusion of this story... there's still a fair few chapters still so no panicking yet!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Road Trips and Curses.**_

Waking up early for the drive east to Ninjago City wasn't a problem for Kai, seeing as he was only permitting himself minimal cat naps to keep himself going still. But the same could definitely not be said for Ringo who appeared outside Four Weapons a good 40 minutes later than their agreed time, yawning, hair even more dishevelled than normal as she clutched her bag and bulging art portfolio sleepily. As soon as he saw her he just laughed, thrusting one of Maya's insulated travel coffee mugs into her hand and beckoning towards the car to get in as he threw her gear into the boot. She eyed the coffee and took a grateful swig before sliding into her seat, looking around the interior as she buckled herself in.

"Is this yours? Or your dad's?" Kai grinned, starting up the engine and stabbing at the touchscreen monitor in the middle of the dash, frowning slightly and muttering under his breath.

"No, this is my dad's. Mine is back at the… well, it's not here. And its definitely not got as much stupid. technology. as. this!" The words were punctuated by his stabbing at the screen, the air con suddenly kicking out on full heat and strength, blowing both their hair up, Ringo's wild curls flying up like a halo around them both. She couldn't help but laugh as he cussed under his breath, managing to turn the blowers down and finally finding the bluetooth menu he had been after, linking his BorgPhone up to the car and accessing his playlists.

"Can I?" He nodded and she deftly flicked through the touch screen controls, selecting Cole's playlist again and putting it onto random. "Well I think it looks a cool car. Oh wow, it's even got a panoramic roof!" Kai looked up, nodding. He had to admit, his dad's car was pretty cool, and bigger than what he had expected his parents to choose. Ray obviously loved the car from the third degree he had given his son and the promises he had enforced to make sure Kai drove carefully at all times ("within the speed limit, Kai!") and to "just take care of the car and please bring it back in one piece" (which reminded him he needed to have a quiet chat with Nya about spilling the beans on his mishap reversing into the Samurai X suit back at the monastery, after his dad had made sure to point out the reversing camera function to him a little too strongly…).

"So, you ready for the road trip?" He looked over to her as he buckled himself in and adjusted his mirrors (he caught sight of his dad nodding approvingly).

"Yep, let's roll!" He wound down the windows as they reversed (both of them jumping from the loud beep as the reversing sensors kicked in), waving to Ray and Maya as they pulled out of the little sleepy village, negotiating their way out of the small winding roads around the paddy fields until they reached the main road leading to Ninjago City.

* * *

It was a couple of hours drive, made slightly longer from stops Kai made in order to wake himself up and get his awareness levels back up to alert; Ringo assumed that he needed to stretch his legs from the drive, but the reality was that no matter how entertaining Ringo's conversation or her singing along to the music, the monotonous concentration on the road was playing havoc with his lack of sleep. He pulled down the sunscreen on his side of the car as he waited for Ringo to come back from one of the service stations where he had pulled in to top up their coffee, flipping open the little mirror inside it and frowning as he looked at the dark circles under his eyes, turning the air con down and narrowing his eyes against the sudden blast of icy air, laying his head back against the head rest.

"Hey! Come on sleeping beauty!" Ringo threw her head back and full bellied laughed as her startled companion jumped and banged his head on the roof of the car, cussing again as he knocked the horn, the quick, loud pip drawing the curious attention of those in the parked cars around them. He took the coffee, taking a long gulp of the hot, bitter liquid before shoving it into the cupholder by the gear stick.

"Hey, you ok?" She still had tears in her eyes, but the laughter had been replaced by concern. "I can drive for a bit if you want?"

He smiled reassuringly, spikes swaying slightly as he shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. Come on, let's get going."

She nodded, clicking her belt back in place before grabbing his phone and setting the music up again, turning the volume up from deafening to ear drum splitting as the playlist re-kicked in.

* * *

He had dropped Ringo off outside the Riverside West building of the uni, the tall converted old warehouse which housed the photography students' studios alongside the computer labs, several dark rooms and the large exhibition room, promising to be back at 4pm for the exhibition opening. The excited photography student had enquired what he was going to do for the next few hours whilst she was setting up, but he just reassured her that he was going to park up and find some old friends then have a mooch about the shops for a bit.

Well, part of that was true.

If mooching around shops included scouting out Master Chen's Noodle House.

He couldn't bring himself to go in, partly just not being able to bring himself to go into an area filled with so many memories, partly not wanting to be recognised (although he doubted most people would recognise the former red ninja right now dressed in black skinny jeans, grey long sleeved t shirt and has dad's dark, wool peacoat which he had turned the collar up on, huddling his face away from the biting wind, the bags under his eyes aging him considerably beyond his nearly 20 years). So he sat on the bench around the corner from the front doors, just watching and thinking, although if anyone had sat with him and asked him what he was thinking about he would not be able to tell them. Eventually the running out of his takeout coffee promoted his movement, standing, adjusting the collar on the coat and just steadily walking, hands in pockets and collar up, following the pavement and looking around him, watching the people around him and looking up occasionally at the tall buildings and flashing lights which was the hustle of this part of the city.

Until he realised where his wanderings had taken him and stopped, breathless.

Right outside her apartment building.

He pulled her key out from his trouser pocket, not even recalling putting it in there this morning when he had got himself dressed, biting his lip and frowning as he looked down at it, turning it over in his hands. He looked up, staring at the juilette balcony of her kitchen window, screwing his eyes shut as he remembered standing the other side of that open window, the warmer breeze flowing through and enveloping them as he had come and stood behind her, leaning into her as she had rested on the bars as she looked out, wrapping his arms around her and gently moving her hair to one side as he had nuzzled into her neck.

His eyes snapped back open and without hesitation he resolutely made his way into the building, narrowing his eyes as he punched in the keycode for the front doors then went straight into the waiting lift and up to her floor, briefly standing outside her apartment before unlocking it and letting the door swing open, pausing for a split second before he went in and slammed the door shut, taking a deep breath and kicking off his shoes in the hallway out of habit. It was obvious that no one had been in the flat for a while from the slightly musty smell and the layer of dust covering her normally immaculate side tables and photos. Although she had been spending most of her time at the monastery, especially as she was just starting to embark upon her full training as a member of the team, she had wanted to keep the apartment, wanting that place of her own still. And they had both enjoyed somewhere where they could slink off to for some occasional privacy, something of a rarity when living with eight other adults, especially with one as nosey as Jay and another as mischievous as Lloyd…

Kai threw his coat on the sofa, paused and smiled as re-grabbed it and hung it on the hook by the door, seeing her narrow her eyes and hiss at him _"Kai Ryoto Smith, get your coat off that sofa and hang it up where it should be!"._ He picked up one of the photo frames, running a finger over her smiling face, tracing his thumb down the line of her hair as he walked into her bedroom and perched on the end of the bed, smiling at the discarded red hood in the corner of the room alongside one of her gloves. He closed his eyes as he realised he could still smell her, that heady mixture of her shampoo and some sort of citrusy, floral smell…was it bergamot? He sighed and threw himself back, sinking into the soft pillows, the photo discarded next to him as he screwed his eyes tight, willing himself not to cry any more. _You've cried enough Kai, stop it._ Breathing deeply, he pushed himself up, curling up and gazing at her side, blinking heavily and suddenly realising how heavy his eyes felt, just how damn tired he felt. He could almost feel her gentle touch, stroking his cheek, her breath warm against his skin, eyelashes fluttering against his cheek as she kissed him sweetly, smiling down at him as his eyes closed. Maybe a few minutes wouldn't hurt.

* * *

Crap, crap, crap! Well he was only… quick glance down at his watch. Damn, nearly two hours late! He ran through the doors, mounting two stairs at a time as he ran into the exhibition space, frantically looking around the room for her mass of dark curls, listening out for her raucous laughter. But he couldn't see her, unless she was in amongst the larger group over to the side of the room… Kai pushed his way through, declining offers of drinks as he wove his way through the mass of people, some obviously students and lecturers, some proud, doting parents. He suddenly spotted her, stood beside one of the exhibition stands, surrounded by a loud, excited throng. Kai blew his cheeks out in relief, heading straight for her. Ringo looked up and met his eyes over the crowd, stopping him in his tracks as he took in the hurt and betrayal which flickered across the normally vibrant and carefree eyes. Her mouth fell open and several of the people surrounding her turned to see what she was staring at, the excited whispers and not so subtle pointing causing him to take a step back.

"It's him." "That's the red ninja." He followed the stare of one particular student, turning open mouthed towards him and then turning back to one of the larger prints of what he assumed was Ringo's photos.

A portrait shot taken in the early morning, the sun's rays reflected in the deep brown eyes, highlighting the unusually bright amber specks which surrounded the pupils. The eyes were haunting, shadows cast by the spiked hair not hiding the conflicting emotions running across the subject's face, captured perfectly by her lens, the mood deepened by the scar running through the eyebrow and down the top of the cheek.

His eyebrow; his cheek.

Damn.

Ringo pushed her glasses up on her nose and started to push her way through the crowd towards him. He backed up, unable to bare the hurt across her face and feeling suddenly claustrophobic as more of the crowd recognised him, some reaching out and calling him by the names he no longer recognised as himself.

He turned around and ran straight back out of the room, hurtling down the stairs, not stopping until he was well out of the way of the university building, chest pounding and heart pumping as he sank down against the wall where he had found himself, blinking back fresh tears and cursing the name that was the red ninja and the master of fire.

Purple eyes watched closely.


	22. Playing With Fire

**Eeeeee so it's been a fair while for me since I last updated, sorry about that! Life kinda got in the way of writing for a bit, but things have settled again so I've managed to churn out your next chapter.**

 **Huge thank yous for the reviews (I love them, thank you!) and hello to new followers of my story.**

 **As always, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Playing With Fire**_

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He wasn't sure how long he had been sat there but he was certainly aware of how cold it was knelt down and leaning against that wall now, eyes slowly focussing and taking in the hazy mass of curls blowing around the slim frame stood over him, hands on hips and frowning down. The curls bounced as she shook her head, breaking eye contact as she turned her head away. Her lips were tightly pursued as a thousand thoughts seemed to pass over her eyes. Resolutely she turned back, offering her hand down to him.

"Come on, get up. You'll freeze down there."

Kai hesitated, staring at the offered hand then looking away and frowning as he pulled himself up, using the wall for leverage rather than the presented assistance. Biting her bottom lip Ringo stuffed her hands into her pockets, trying to ignore the red hot flush racing across her cheeks from the blatant rejection.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The words more urgent now as she leant towards him, a hand quickly pushing the slipped black framed glasses back up her nose before being hastily shoved back in their warm and safe pocket haven.

Kai straightened, blowing his cheeks out as he felt the smouldering ignite, the heat in his blood picking up and travelling through him.

"Told you what exactly?" The words were spat out, and he momentarily regretted his tone as he saw the hurt flash over her face once again, but she soon recovered, mimicking his straightened pose indignantly.

Leaning over and staring him directly in the eyes, she shoved a pointed finger into his chest.

"That you are _"the"_ Kai. Elemental Master of Fire. One of Ninjago's protectors. The Red Ninja…" She looked down, frowning and pouting, grabbing fistfuls of unruly hair and pushing it away from her face before looking back up. "FSM how did I not realise who you are? But anyway… do you want me to go on?"

Suddenly becoming aware of the passers by around them, he shushed her, frowning and shaking his head.

"No. Just Kai. And don't you think you should have asked me before splattering my face across the whole university campus?"

Her shoulders drooped slightly. "Yes, I should have. And I'm sorry." She bit her lip and looked at him defiantly again. "But do not deflect this onto me. I thought you were running from a girl, but there's so much more to this, isn't there?"

He raised his scarred eyebrow, narrowing his eyes at the photography student, a hand running through his hair.

"Don't." The flames twisted and sputtered inside, the pain as they begged for release beginning to burn and sting.

"Why?" She stepped closer to him, indignantly invading his space and ignoring his warning. "Tell me why, Kai? Why are you hiding from who you are? _Why are you so afraid of who you are?_ "

He looked away, shoulders heaving as he took deep breathes, attempting to quell the burning but to no avail. The surge built and begged for release, aching and pleading inside him. The all too familiar snap came as he simultaneously grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the alleyway just behind them, yanking the vengestone from his wrist and tossing it at her, almost revelling as the burning which was welling in his core started to shoot down his arms. Almost.

"You think that this is all I am?" The flames sparked and thankfully released in his palms, meandering and illuminating her pale face and wide eyes as she clung to the castoff bracelet, watching with fascination as the amber in his eyes grew, twisting and reflecting the fiery tendrils which he held in his hands.

"You think that I want this? To be owned by it? To be controlled by _this_?" He forcefully threw the flames into the air, oranges and reds reflected in eyes which narrowed as he watched the tendrils dancing around themselves before burning out.

Ringo blinked as the flames dissipated, looking back down and facing the fire elemental, now only partially lit by what could reach them from the dim streetlighting. She put a hand on his arm but he shrugged her off, taking a step back against the alley wall.

"You think that _that_ is what defines me? That's who I am, just an elemental master?"

She stepped forward, planting her hand more firmly back on his arm, holding his defiant gaze with her own hazel stare.

"Of course I don't. But it is a part of you, and you cannot deny who you are."

"But _this_ is just destruction, and pain, and," the words caught in his throat and he stopped, looking up to the sky and away from Ringo's searching gaze. She squeezed his arm, not giving up. Her voice was soft this time, her grip on his arm fixed.

"Kai, no it's not. Not if you don't want it to be. Fire is passion, and beauty. Look at the way it moves; it's all fluidity and grace alongside a raw, intense spirit. Yes, fire destroys but it also brings life."

Kai snorted, looking back down at her incredulously.

"I'm serious! There are some plants which can't release their seeds without fire, eucalyptus is one." Cocking his head to one side he looked thoughtful, muttering "I didn't know that" under his breath.

She took a step forward, both hands on his arms now.

"Do not ever deny who you are, or it will tear you apart inside. Everyone has darkness and the potential to destroy inside of them, it's how you deal with and manage it that counts. FSM, you are the Master of Fire, not fire is the master of you, Kai! You have been given a gift, yes it's a dangerous one, but the way you embrace it and use it is what defines _you_ , not the actual fire."

Something clicked inside his head. He leant his bodyweight back into the cold brickwork, lips pursed as her words echoed in his head, watching his breath in the chilled, wintry air. She waited patiently as the minutes silently passed by until he slowly looked back down at her, a lop-sided smile adorning his rugged features. _You are the Master of Fire, not fire is the master of you…_

"Are you sure you're not related to someone named Wu?"

She returned the smile, releasing her grip on his arms as her eyes took on a far away searching look. "I don't think so, the name doesn't ring any bells… Why, who is he?"

Kai laughed, a deep, warm sound which resonated around them.

"No matter, just someone very wise and very special to me."

"Huh, sounds a nice guy." She looked at him, frowning slightly. "Are we ok now, Kai?"

He smiled, nodding and grabbing her, embracing her in a huge hug.

"Yes. Thank you." She relaxed, hugging the larger and surprisingly warm frame back.

"I'm really sorry Kai. I should have asked you about using your picture."

"Its ok." He muttered, releasing her from his embrace. "I should have maybe been a bit more honest with you. And probably myself…"

She punched him lightly on the arm.

"It's cool. But… can we get out of here now? It's kinda cold…" Kai grinned.

"Yeah, come on. Back to the uni…?" he tentively asked, wrapping an arm around the wild haired girl's shoulders, hugging her into his side as they walked back out onto the main street. She shook her head.

"Probably all done and dusted by now. It was kinda getting a bit too full on in their though, if you know what I mean? Can we just got get something to eat? There's a great place just round the corner from here that's really cheap."

"Lead the way." he nodded, pulling his coat closer around him, his stomach suddenly growling in anticipation. "I'm thinking I'm going to need to make a call when we get there."

Ringo nodded as she looped an arm into his.

"To the others?"

"Yeah." He softly breathed out, falling into step beside her.

* * *

Purple eyes blinked intently as they watched the two walk back out of the alley, heading back into the more lively throng of the city's reawakening nightlife.

"What are you doing? I've been trying to reach you?" She looked up, seeing straight through the guise of the elderly man leaning on his stick.

"Come on, we need to get back to base. I need to get back out of this form." Skylor nodded, turning and walking her own borrowed form towards the pulled over vehicle, climbing up into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut, her face rigid, deep in thought as Chamille pulled back out into the traffic.

Her eyes meeting his as they passed by them, the master of fire and the curly haired girl, as they waited for the hired SUV to pass by so that they could cross the road. The sheer look of horror and confusion evident across his face as they sped by.


	23. Cake and Realisations

**So FanFic doesn't like me trying to login through the web at the moment so I'm updating through the app on my phone! Apologies if this isn't quite formatted right, I'll edit as soon as ffn plays ball and lets me log in properly!**

 ** _Cake and Realisations._**

Jay propped his luminous blue monster claw novelty slipper clad feet onto the table, wriggling himself to get comfy within the well worn grooves of the familiar family friend which they called their sofa whilst he threw his head against its back with a deep sigh, rubbing at his eyes wearily. Zane and Pix had just left, taking up their shift patrolling Ninjago City's streets from whence Jay and Nya had just returned. He smirked as Nya's quite simply toneless singing in the shower carried through the quiet monastery, no doubt scrubbing the last of the garbage explosion they had been coerced into assisting with the clean up of just before their shift had ended…

Hmm, the monastery was quiet… The monastery was never this quiet.

He grabbed his phone, sighing as he saw the missed calls from when he must have been in the shower himself, clicking on the text message.

 **Cole:**

 ** _Zaptrap! Lloyd not feeling too good, wanted to see his dad so we're off to Kryptarium before visiting hours are up. Pizza leftovers in fridge. Do not touch my cake… l8ters_**

Huh, well no Cole and Lloyd for a bit then. There's cake in the fridge…?

He got up, stretching and yawning loudly, pulling his slightly too long pyjama bottoms up and nearly tripping as they caught on a large, brown claw on his right slipper, shaking the stumble off as he reached for the fridge handle and yanked it open, the light illuminating the large chunk of chocolate sponge sat on the top shelf like a halo, highlighting a thing of utter beauty which must be beheld. And eaten.

"You, my lovely chocolatey spongy slab of goodness, are all mine." He grabbed the plate, slamming the fridge door shut and spinning round to grab a fork, pausing and grabbing a second before making his way back over to the sofa with his stolen precious. The folded note in the middle of the large table they all ate at grabbed his attention as he ambled past. He scooped it up and took it with him as he journeyed back to the sofa, crumbs of cake falling from his mouth as he unfolded it, recognising his sensei's elaborate scrawl.

 _ **Ninja. Gone with Misako to a possible lead on Skylor's mother's origins, but we need to travel out to beyond the Corridor of Elders. We will be back tomorrow, if not the next day. Train hard and be vigilant. Wu.**_

Huh. So no Wu or Misako either. He propped the note onto the coffee table, re-establishing himself firmly into his well-worn and perfect, ergonomically Jay shaped groove in the sofa, loading up another forkful of the cake and beginning its traverse to his mouth.

"Hey!" The blue ninja indignantly squealed as his wife launched herself over the sofa back, grabbing the fork and shoving the cake into her mouth as she sat cross legged next to him.

"Oh, that's good!" she giggled, crumbs spilling out of her mouth as she laughed, dark, wet hair dripping around her shoulders and looking so _damn cute_ in a pair of leggings and one of his old shirts. He shook his head and grabbed the other fork, offering the plate over to her as he grabbed his own morsel of the chocolatey goodness. She grabbed another forkful, groaning as she savoured the taste.

"Jay. Tell me this isn't Cole's."

"It's not Cole's. Heh, well… it's not anymore…"

"Oh, you are going to be in so much trouble!" She threw a hand over her mouth as she snorted, eyes eying the blue ninja mischievously.

"Ah, but you have also eaten said cake. So _you_ are an accomplice and will also have to share the punishment." He paused, eyes gleaming playfully as he held her gaze. "Or we could just blame Zane."

She scraped the last piece from the plate, shaking her head as she shoved it in her mouth.

"That will never work. Blame Lloyd."

"A wise choice, but unfortunately the green machine has the ultimate alibi as he is with the previous cake owner." Jay pushed the empty plate across the little table, remounting his slippers onto it. "But we…" he grabbed the note and tossed it over to the ninja of water, a glint in his eye as he watched her unfold it. "…We have the place to ourselves."

"Really?"

"Uh huh, really…"

The note dropped to the floor as Jay leant over, gently running a hand through Nya's dark, silky locks and pulling her towards him, their mouths softly meeting as Jay twisted his body around to face her. Nya breathlessly broke away, momentarily gazing into the electric blue eyes which smiled back at her with such sweetness and contentment. She nimbly hoisted herself over, closing the gap between them as she wrapped her legs around his waist, hands around his neck and pulling him towards her, kissing him deeply and longingly, a hand teasing his unruly shock of dark, auburn tinged hair.

They both jumped and groaned as Jay's phone sounded, the quacking of his ring tone noisily interrupting them.

"Maybe it's not important. It'll just be Cole checking if we've touched his cake. Let's ignore it." He breathed, reaching back for his love, cupping her face tenderly and pulling her back to him, lips barely brushing hers before Nya's phone flashed and buzzed loudly, vibrations sending it skittering across the little table next to them. He dropped his head into her chest, groaning again.

"Not if they're ringing both of us." Nya reached over, raising an eyebrow as she read the caller ID, pushing herself back off Jay's lap and quickly standing, whispering a tentative but urgent "Hello?" into her white BorgPhone as Jay answered his own to Lloyd, the former immediately sitting up and asking the green ninja to just slow down.

* * *

Tapping his foot he ran a hand through his hair again as he watched where the SUV had sped and disappeared around the corner, impatiently listening to the ringing. _Come on, come on…_

Finally she picked up, and he nearly choked as he heard her voice after so long, filled with concern and questioning.

"Hello?"

"Nya! It's me. You need to write this down, right now! Have you got a pen?" He heard her inhale sharply then banging as she located a pen and paper.

"Go on, Kai."

"DP10 LHG. A grey SUV."

"Ok, I've got it. Kai, what's going on? We haven't heard from you in months, and I…" her voice trailed off and he grimaced, feeling her hurt and confusion over the line.

"I'm sorry, sis'. I really am. But…but I feel a bit better now." Kai paused, looking over at the dark, ringleted girl who was looking after the SUV then back at him, confused.

"Listen, I can't go into it all right now, but I think…I think I just saw Skylor."

"What? In that car? Where are you?"

"Ninjago city, not far from the docks. They just passed me, but she wasn't her. She looked like, like an old lady, a bit like Mystake, and she was with an older guy driving."

"Wait, she was old? Like Mystake? Kai, you sound a bit, well…"

"Nya, I'm not crazy! She stared right at me, it was her eyes, they were hers. She…she just had a different body, I don't know… Oh!" He inhaled sharply, a hand covering his mouth and swallowing the bile rising swiftly in the back of his throat as the realisation hit him like a train, his sister's calling over the phone snapping his attention back after a few calls of his name.

"Nya. She's with Chamille. I'm sure of it." He hissed into the phone, his hand rubbing at his eyes. "She's using Chamille's powers and they're both shape-shifting their way around the city. That's why we could never find her!"

The following silence hung in the air heavily as they both took in and digested what they suddenly comprehended was the truth, Kai groaning and kicking a stone across the road as he blew out his cheeks; his sister watching Jay intensely back at the monastery on the other end of the line. The water elemental broke the silence first.

"Listen, Kai. I don't know what, but something is going on with Lloyd and Cole. One of them, I think Lloyd, is talking to Jay now on his phone. They're at Kryptarium prison but they want us to meet them in the city, I think. Jay where?" He listened intently as his sister's muffled voice coaxed instructions from the master of lightening, Kai blinking rapidly as her voice came back to him clearly.

"Kai, meet us by the old town fish market, do you know where I mean?"

"Under the crab restaurant?"

"Yes, that's the one. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I'll head straight there. Are we all…?" He paused, his breath hitching and biting at his lip as he realised what he had said. Nya paused, realising the reason for her brother's pause and smiling gently.

"Yes. Yes, Kai. All of us."

He exhaled slowly, nodding to himself as she continued. "We'll see you there. And Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so glad you're ok."

He smiled, softly whispering "Me too." as he hung up, repocketing his phone and walking back over to where Ringo patiently waited.


	24. Ready & Standing By

**Well big thank yous and hellos to all you lovely lot out there who are reading and reviewing In Your Eyes. Special thank yous to GwenBrightly (thank you so so much for your words), RandomDragon2.0, Jaell, Skylor Chan and CuddleLover (your reviews always make me belly laugh! Bless you!). Action coming very, very soon... But first, lets get this team sorted out!**

* * *

 _ **Ready and Standing By.**_

The tyres near enough yelped as they arrived at an abrupt halt, Kai virtually slamming the car into one of the vacant spots just around the corner from the old town fish market. Pausing as he took the key out of the ignition, he turned and fixed Ringo with a worried look which made the girl huff and fold her arms as she eyed him.

"I told you before, I'm fine. I can't think of anywhere safer in Ninjago right now than being with you and surrounded by the ninja."

Shaking his head Kai muttered softly. "You obviously don't know our full track record. Danger always finds us. Always." He leaned back in his chair, spinning the car keys on his finger and frowning. He had tried to fill her in on the way over, his attempts at trying to persuade the curly haired student to allow him to drop her somewhere safe being stubbornly refused.

"Kai. Seriously, I'll be fine. Now don't you need to find the others?"

He nodded before pointing upwards towards the rooftops as he climbed out of the vehicle.

"Too late, they've found us."

She squinted, trying to see through the car's panoramic roof to where he was pointing, seeing nothing but dark, moonlit buildings and the twisted branches of an old, withered tree swaying in the slight breeze. She followed his lead, climbing out of the car and softly closing the door behind her, jumping as a figure jumped down from above them and landed in front of her. Instinctively Ringo leapt forward towards Kai, but a gasp of horror escaped her as a second figure landed quietly behind him, straightening its taller shape over the spikey haired teen before roughly spinning him around and grabbing him, smothering him completely in its grasp. She heard Kai let out a muffled squeak and she took another step forward, desperately reaching and trying to squeeze through the gap between the car and the figure to get to Kai to help him, his stifled cries and frantic squirming forcing her breath to hitch as she managed to push past the first figure in front of her. She needed to help him…

"Zane! Get off my hair!" The figure, 'Zane', suddenly released Kai and the pair broke into laughter, the taller form grasping Kai around the shoulders and studying the shorter before pulling him into a huge, all-encompassing hug.

"It's so good to see you, brother." Ringo stood, watching and listening, open mouthed and confused, to the exchange happening before her, turning slightly to eye the figure which solidly stood beside her as she grabbed a fistful of curls and shoved them back out of her face.

"Are you…are you the ninja?" The person next to her turned, Ringo suddenly realising she was stood next to a girl with stunningly beautiful, inhuman features, her shiny silver bangs falling into her bright green eyes, hair scraped back onto the top of her head.

"No, I am not one of the ninja. But he is." The one Kai had called Zane turned, and she suddenly recognised the form of the titanium ninja, the one who was a nindroid. Relief flooded Ringo's features as she leaned back on the car bonnet.

"Zane, Pix, this is Ringo. Ringo, meet Zane and PIXAL!" Ringo returned the pleasantries from the pair, unable to tear her eyes from the piercing blue gaze of the titanium ninja as he politely shook her hand and bid her hello. Zane suddenly turned and focused his attention to the roadside, holding a hand to his ear and listening. A few moments later the distant sound of motorcycles approaching filled the air around them.

"The others?" The expression on Kai's face took on a strange mixture of apprehension and excitement when Zane nodded, the former beginning to hop from one foot to the other nervously. As the bikes appeared and screeched to a stop beside them he stilled, a huge wide-mouthed smile beaming across his face as one of the riders jumped straight off and ran to him, literally soaring into his arms. The pair hugged each other tightly, burying their faces into each other. When they parted the rider pulled back their grey hood, revealing a mass of dark, thick hair and delicate but strong set features. The girl took a step back, pursing her lips as she grabbed hold of Kai's side, pinching him and appraising him with her eyes before she stopped, put her hands on her hips then poked him hard.

"Ow! Nya!"

"You have lost so much weight! Kai! You hardly had anything on you to start with!" The dark haired girl cocked her head and folded her arms, foot tapping.

"Nya is Kai's sister." PIXAL whispered to Ringo. Ringo nodded gratefully, the scene in front of her suddenly making more sense.

"She's right, dude! Nothing but protein shakes, raw eggs and a personalised training schedule to get you built back up. Can't have a skinny little rake running around with us; we've already got Jay for that."

A stocky, muscularly built figure jumped off one of the other bikes and wrapped a now protesting Kai in a bear hug whilst a shorter, blue clad figure squealed "Hey!" from their bike before abandoning it and hastily grabbing hold of Kai from the other side. The laughing brunette soon disappeared under the rapidly growing ninja pile as Nya and Zane joined the yelping, chuckling heap, Zane pulling PIXAL along with them. Ringo watched the one remaining solitary ninja, still seated on their bike and leaning forward, watching the ensuing chaos and smiling. She could see the flashes of green as his eyes caught and reflected the moonlight. Realisation that this must be the fabled green ninja hit the student, sudden shouts of "Lloyd, get your ass over here!" from the ninja pile confirming his identity as he dismounted gracefully and walked over, various arms from the throng reaching out and grabbing the green gi he was clad in, pulling him in with them. Ringo couldn't resist, taking a quick snap of the precariously balanced ninja mountain, laughing as she heard more squeals of "Get off my hair!" amidst the amused throngs of the reunited team.

"Alright, alright! Guys, please!" They gradually unscrambled, still laughing and joking, helping to pull each other back up. Kai finally re-emerged looking more than dishevelled, frantically pulling at his hair and trying to straighten out his clothes, laughing and returning fist bumps and back claps as he did so.

"You're back?" The words were whispered and barely audible, but the whole assemblage heard and collectively held its breath as they waited as Lloyd stepped over to Kai, his blonde mop of hair bouncing as he took down his hood. Kai looked down, shuffling his feet again before looking back up and meeting the bright green eyes.

"If you'll have me?"

Lloyd looked up into his big brother's soft, brown eyes, taking note of the dark bags, the obvious tiredness and the pale, sallowness of his skin. From the way the dark, alien clothing hung off of his frame Nya was right, her sibling had also lost a lot of weight and looked a fraction of his normally perfectly turned out and primed self. But he could see the spark and feel the heat radiating from him and knew; the Master of Fire was back.

The green ninja closed the gap between them, grabbing hold of Kai and hugging him tightly, wincing inwardly as he felt the slighter than normal frame, whispering.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

He softly protested as Kai broke away, locking an arm around his neck and using the other to give him a gentle noogie. When Lloyd finally managed to break away and straighten back up he noticed Ringo, his gaze making her suddenly awkward and self-conscious, looking away from the intense stare.

"Kai, who's this?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow, confusion written over his face. Ringo squirmed, feeling like the ultimate gate-crasher…

"FSM, I'm so sorry Ringo. You lot, this is Ringo. A _friend_ …" Kai stressed the word, looking pointedly at Jay who was smirking as he walked past him, making his way back to where she leaned against the car bonnet.

"I owe Ringo a lot, and now I've gone and got her caught up in all this." She smiled and shook her head, curls bouncing.

"You've not got me caught up in anything."

Nya stepped over, putting a hand on Ringo's arm.

"Well I'm not sure myself what is going on here yet, but we'll look after you. I'm Nya, Kai's sister. This is Jay, Cole, Zane, PIXAL and Lloyd." She paused as she gestured to the green ninja. "So come on then Lloyd, what is going on anyway? Why are we here?"

"Okay, but this is the short version. I wanted to see go and see my da- uh, Garmadon, so we," he waved at Cole who mounted back on his bike and leaned over the handlebars. "We went to Kryptarium. But when we got there, the guards were confused, asking if we had left something earlier... Turns out "we" had not long left from visiting, no more than an hour before we arrived…"

Nya and Jay looked at each other, worry creasing across their faces whilst Kai whistled through his teeth.

"Lloyd, how long ago was this?"

The green ninja looked over to where Kai leaned forward from his perch on the car bonnet, brown eyes burning intently.

"About two hours ago now." Lloyd saw the flicker of amber in those eyes and tentatively reached over. "Kai, your hands."

Kai looked down, realising his hands were heating and leaving small scorch marks on the bonnet. He blew a long breath out, before reciting his encounter with what they now knew to be Skylor and Chamille, the Master of Form, earlier.

"So Lloyd, the car you asked us to trace is the same one that Kai and Ringo saw earlier? DP10 LHG?" Zane directed the question to Lloyd, both green and red ninjas nodding at the registration plate.

"And that is why we are here specifically, as the car has been sited at a warehouse two blocks from here regularly over the last few weeks when we accessed the police database."

Kai stood, fists curling. "They're only a couple of blocks away?"

"Kai, we can't just go marching in. There must be a reason they have been visiting Garmadon like this. We just need to work out what they're doing before we confront- Kai!" Lloyd tried to catch hold of his brother's arm, holding onto him and wincing as he felt the heat radiate off of him.

"Kai. Wait. You're not exactly dressed for stealth, and we've got Ringo to think of. There's something big going on here, we need to tread carefully and try to work out what we are dealing with before we move in."

"Travel in shadows brother." Zane placed a hand on Kai's other arm, gently and discretely sending a cooling surge through his heated brother. Kai took a deep breath, eyes flicking up to look at his master.

"So what do we do?"

"How did you know it was Skylor?"

Kai bit his lip, frowning. "Her eyes. I could see the purple, it was only faint but it was there." He closed his own eyes, composing himself. He reopened them as he felt the gentle hand on his own.

"Do you feel up to coming with me to survey this warehouse, see what we can find? I think you may be the only one who can recognise her right now if she is disguising herself with Chamille's powers."

They looked at each other, searching. Kai swallowed and silently nodded.

"Ok, then so Kai, Cole, myself and Zane, we will go to this warehouse and see if we can find out what is going on. The rest of you to stay here in-case we need you." They all nodded as Lloyd fixed his gaze on the dark haired student. "Ringo, stay with Nya, Jay and Pix. They will look out for you." The curls bounced as she nodded solemnly, pushing her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose, the two ninja and samurai coming and standing alongside her.

"But Kai, we gotta get you into a gi or at least something you can move in without letting the whole neighbourhood know you're here. Is there anything in the car?"

Kai groaned, running a hand over his face. "I wasn't expecting this, Lloyd. I couldn't even face my powers until not all that long ago... But this is my dad's car, so I guess I can check what he's got in here…" Nya quickly stepped round the car and popped open the boot, both siblings peering in. Nya shook her head as she looked around the near empty cavity, hands patting down and feeling the carpeted base then pausing as she noticed something tucked right up against the front panel of the boot, neatly hidden under the car's moulding for the rear lights.

"Wait, Kai, what's this?" She pulled out a heavy, long package wrapped in a black cloth, grinning as she felt the unmistakable hilt. "Every ninja needs a blacksmith for a dad!" She grinned and tossed the package over, Kai catching the perfectly weighted weapon and pulling away the black fabric, revealing the katana his dad had been working on at the shop what felt like an age ago, the stunning carving in the hilt and flame etchings along its sharpened edge gleaming in the moonlight as he pulled it from its sheath.

"Ha! And would you look at this!" Kai smiled as she pulled out another black wrapped package, the red inside the packings unmistakable.

"How did he know?"

"I wouldn't ask with our dad, but you'd better get that on and get yourself ready." She tossed the gi over, Kai handing the katana over to Jay as he twisted himself up into his signiture spinjitzu tornado, quickly changing into the familiar red of his element. They all smiled as he came to a stop, taking the katana back and securing it carefully against him using the sash holding his gi closed.

"Ready?" Lloyd grinned ear to ear as the red ninja quickly checked his reflection in one of the car wing mirrors, quickly adjusting a wayward spike and shooting a lop-sided smile back at the green ninja.

"Ready and standing by!"

Cole rolled his eyes, grinning mischievously at his team mate. "Welcome back, Fire Dork."

Lloyd looked around at them all proudly, feeling more settled than he had in a long while despite the uncertainty of what they were about to face. He took a breath and rallied himself.

"Ok then team, let's go."


	25. Flickers

**Thank you all for your awesome reviews!**

 **Masters of Fire and Amber - thank you so much for your words, you're too kind! And "terrifically-ninja-some" should totally be a word!**

 **GwenBrightly - I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter. And absolutely I appreciate you pointing out my typos (doh! Even though I proof read so many times I always seem to let some slip through...) although I am a Brit so apologies for the different spelling of "tyres".**

 **RandomDragon2.0 - yep, Kai is back baby!**

 **FireBoi206 - I love _fire porcupine_! That is so Kai!**

 **Well as always I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Flickers**_

The brothers fell into step with each other again with ease, falling instinctively into the intuitive unit of the team once again like it was the most natural thing in the realm, each of them welcoming the familiar togetherness, pre-empting and understanding each other's moves before they were made.

So when they saw Skylor walk into the large factory space, her eyes low and her gait unusually graceless as she made her way around the conveyor belts of the packing stations within the old "Ninjago City Plants and Flowers" warehouse, they all looked over as one to Kai from their various lookout points. Lloyd reached out to steady and reassure his brother from where they stood in the shadows of the top of the fire escape, wincing at the tenseness he felt within the fire ninja's shoulder as he squeezed it. From the red and green ninja's high vantage, they could only just make out the slightly gravely tones of Chamille as she appeared alongside the Master of Amber, her hands holding up what looked like a glass vial as they walked together, stopping at the end of one of the conveyors. Chamille handed the vial to Skylor, who held it up into the dim light, turning it over and surveying the murky brown liquid swishing inside its confines as Chamille hoisted herself up onto the belt, knocking several dusty plant baskets onto the floor without care. The purple haired elemental swung her legs back and forth as she took the object back from the red head, twisting it and staring at it. Skylor looked terrible, her normally shining, full hair hanging limply and lifelessly around her face. Her stance, although still upright and strong, was somehow dejected, giving off an air of helplessness. Lloyd kept his steady but firm grip on the Master of Fire's red shoulder, keeping an eye on his tense friend whilst whispering into his com device.

"Zane, can you hear what they are saying?" Zane gave a subtle thumbs up from his lookout point below them, bright blue eyes blinking once as he accessed his systems and then started relaying the conversation directly to the entire team via the coms link.

"-after that we can get the power transferred-"

"You mean I can. _I_ can get the powers transferred." Chamille looked up from where she was twisting the vial in her hands, staring into the face of the Master of Amber, her expression blank. After a few moments a small smile crossing her lips as she nodded.

"Yes. After _you_ have transferred the power. Then they can start the assault."

"Simultaneously?"

"Yes. They will receive the signal and begin the cleansing immediately."

The ninja looked at each other, Cole's jaw set and eyes frowning as he looked up to Lloyd before turning back to looking through the window he was crouched at. Kai jumped slightly as Jay came crackling through on the coms, voicing what they were all thinking.

"Err, Lloyd. That does not sound good."

"No shi-" Kai stopped as Lloyd squeezed his shoulder harder, gesturing to the road leading up to the warehouse gates where headlights illuminated the fencing as a car swept into the parking lot, brakes squealing as it parked next to the grey SUV. Cole quietly adjusted his position, using the shadows to move away discreetly from the two newcomers as they slammed their doors shut, striding in through the main doors of the factory.

"PIXAL, can you attempt to access police files to determine identity of the newcomers?" Zane softly murmured over the com, PIXAL acknowledging receipt of the image Zane had uploaded to her. Lloyd muttering a quick thanks to them both before re-joining Kai where he was pressing his nose against the fire escape door window, straining to get a proper look at the newcomers.

"Kuro. What are you doing here?" Chamille jumped down, slamming the vial onto the conveyor and striding straight over to the first figure, his taller, more powerfully built frame looming over the smaller female elemental. But this seemingly did not deter her as she put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, purposefully moving herself into "Kuro's" personal space.

"You could jeopardise everything, just turning up like this. And with him!" Her purple hair swung as she jabbed a finger at the slightly shorter figure beside Kuro, who's dark eyes glowered back at her. Both figures, apart from their stature, were unremarkable in appearance, seemingly in their mid-twenties and dressed in unremarkable dark, casual clothing.

Kuro stepped forward, looking down menacingly at Chamille.

"We are tired of waiting. We are ready to move _now_." The two scowled at each other, their faces filled with hatred as they stared at each other, noses millimetres apart. Skylor pushed in-between the two, pulling Chamille away with one arm with such force the Master of Form fell to the ground whilst she pushed Kuro away with the other.

"Are you a fool? Visiting hours are over right now. We can't go back without arousing suspicion at this time of night." The red head hissed at Kuro, her stance strong and defensive. Kai felt his heart jump as the second, shorter but stockier figure moved forward, his arms quickly moving to grab and pull her into a headlock. But she quickly blocked him, twisting herself around and pulling his body over her own, throwing him unceremoniously to the floor in one fluid move before she stepped back, raising her arms slowly and purposefully. The machinery around them juddered, the screeching of metal tearing screeching through the ninjas' ears as the screws and bolts holding the conveyors and machinery popped out of place, sheets of metal ripping and rising around the group as the apparent new Master of Destruction raised her arms higher, her face rigid, eyes glowing with a purple luminosity.

"Skylor. It's ok. Leave the fool." Chamille had pulled herself up and was standing in-between the master and her target, stroking the red hair and smoothing it back down from where it was flying around her face as though filled with static charge. All of the metal, bolts and shards of machinery dropped to the floor as quickly as Skylor dropped her arms, the clanging as they bounced reverberating around the silent group and the purple in the red head's eyes dying down as she slowly blinked.

"Tomorrow." The red head uttered the one word before turning and walking away, making her way back out view of the silent surveyors, slamming the door at the end of the room shut behind her. Chamille straightened, raising her head and narrowing her eyes at the two males before her.

"You heard her. Tomorrow. In the afternoon, as we planned. You'd better leave now." She turned and followed in the footsteps of her companion, not looking back as the taller Kuro bent and assisted his shorter accomplice up, holding out a hand as the figure took it, his frame seeming to flicker into a dark, taller shadow as he pulled himself up and straightened.

Lloyd froze, his eyes unseeing as the two figures made their way back out of the warehouse doors. Not hearing the car engine restarting or the roar of the tyres as it reversed at speed and sped away, back out of the gates. Not seeing the taillights disappearing into the distance or hearing Zane insistently repeating his name.

"…Lloyd!" He finally blinked and looked up into Kai's worried brown eyes, seeing the concern written all over the fire ninja's face.

"Lloyd, what was that? Did you see it too?" Lloyd swallowed, taking in his friend's farrowed brows and the scar running up from his slightly gaunt cheekbone through to his eyebrow, meeting up with the fresher, uglier, still red wound which Skylor had ripped into not all that long ago. The blonde tried to speak but the words stuck in his throat, turning as Zane deftly hauled himself up beside the two of them on the platform of the rickety fire escape, Cole moving and waiting silently below them, watching them with concern.

"Lloyd, am I right that that was an oni?" Kai's head whipped round to stare intently at the Master of Ice, mouth dropping open as he turned back to the shrinking green ninja whose chest was starting to rise and fall rapidly, panic setting in. Kai took his younger brother's face in his hands, lifting it up gently and whispering _breathe, just slowly breathe_ to him as his thumbs caressed the younger's cheeks. Lloyd managed a few deep breathes before turning his bright, unnatural eyes to meet those of Zane, managing to nod before the words came tumbling out in a barely coherent torrent.

"The oni are here. And they're ready to invade us. _Tomorrow!_ "


	26. Fireballs and Blood

**A little bit of softness(ish) before the storm...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fireballs and Blood.**_

 _Urgh. This is just simply a hopeless task._ Sitting up and throwing the covers back off of himself, the fire master ran a hand through his dishevelled spikes, swinging his legs round to the side of the bed and leaning forward, staring out of the dark window. The time must surely no longer be classed as night now… he looked round at his clock and groaned, throwing himself back onto the mattress and rubbing a hand over his face. Nope, definitely could just about be classed as morning now; albeit a very early one, even by Sensei Wu's standards, but still morning. And he hadn't slept a wink.

He thought back, remembering how the panic in Lloyd's face had fallen into momentary utter dismay before he quickly threw back on his Master mask, ordering the team back to the monastery in order to regroup and draw up plans. Ringo had insistently come with them, the normally bubbly student silent as he had driven them behind the others on their bikes up the twisting roads leading to the Mountains of Impossible Height. Silent that is until she caught her first glimpse of the monastery building, when the photography student in her took over as she gasped and snapped away at the sight. He had to admit, Wu had done a meticulous job restoring the old building, and it did look majestic as it broke through the clouds surrounding the peak it perched upon.

And they had drawn up plans. They had argued over them. Then they had agreed. And then Lloyd had ordered them to rest as best they could, Ringo refusing to take Kai's room or any of the other ninja's rooms no matter how much they had insisted, making herself at home on one of the sofas in the lounge area in a borrowed pair of Nya's pyjamas and wrapped in the throws kept on the backs of them.

That had been several hours ago. Several hours of clock watching, sighing and twisting and turning in his bed, watching the shadows and overthinking _everything_.

 _Urgh, that's it!_

Resolutely standing up and grabbing his gi he threw the red cotton robes on, grimacing as he pulled the sash tighter than was normal around his waist, snatching up the katana his dad had made and silently padding out of his room and down the stairs, quietly stalking past the mass of curls which were snoring lightly on the sofa and clicking the main door shut behind him before too much of the cold blew in and no doubt awoke the monastery residents. He hit the lever to the training machinery, eyes focussing upon the rotating wooden dummy to his right as it rose and reached full speed. Breath held he drew the katana, its sharpened, deadly edge reflecting the moonlight, the etched flames gleaming.

Kai leapt forward, performing a series of strikes, meeting their target but shakily so. He stepped back and hummed to himself, shaking himself off and ignoring the ache from the weight of the weapon in his hand. Spinning, he darting forward again, his speed reawakening and his arms starting to feel the flow again, the strikes becoming faster as the blade sang through the air, finding its mark with growing precision and rhythm. After a while Kai stopped, twirling the katana and studying its length. It was a beautiful blade and he marvelled at the craftmanship of his dad; it truly was spectacular in every way; the only one he had seen better being the Sword of Fire. He missed that blade…

With sudden purpose he flung the katana back into its holster, hitting some of the levers for the training equipment until he was left with just the slowly swinging punch bags. He dropped and widened his stance, bringing his arms up before rounding on one bag, closing his eyes then striking forward, his powerful punches then kicks sending the bag straining wildly against its chains, channelling the pent up frustration until a particularly hard flying round house kick sent the bag back against the chains with too much force and they snapped, dust flying up around him as the bag skidded across the yard and thudded against the outer wall.

Nya rested on the doorframe, silently watching as her brother stopped and composed himself. She turned to disappear back inside, not wanting to disturb her brother from what appeared for all intents and purposes to be an intimate training session which was long overdue. But something made her stop and stay, leaning into the shadows of the doorway quietly.

Breathing hard and crouched down, Kai was now leaning on his knees with one hand extended and supporting himself on the dirt, his eyes wide and blinking. He could feel the aggression bubbling, burning within, forcing its way insistently up to the surface until he allowed it to find its release. Standing he turned and focussed his now burning eyes upon the second bag, releasing a rapid stream of fire upon it as he ran, leaping and turning, his element spinning around him as he landed a punch then sharp kick upon his target, a short kiai escaping him. As he landed the flames swirled around him, dancing with him as he moved and fell into a ferocious, energy fuelled weapon-less combat kata, the sequence of moves punctuated by the burning ribbons surrounding him, flying and wrapping themselves around his limbs as he moved in perfect rhythm. Their fiery tendrils reminding Nya of the ribbons of a gymnast, Kai's twists and leaps every bit as graceful. She had never seen her brother so elegant and at one with his element, and she felt a pang of jealousy as she watched the power and control he exerted, both over his own moves and that of the flames he controlled and surrounded himself with. As he performed the final sequence and stopped, arms held high in a long defensive stance, she swallowed, her mind racing as she processed how formidable and focussed Kai seemed; despite everything he had been through over the last few months he seemed stronger than he had ever been, and she felt a surge of pride. The flames disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, the slight smell of scorched dust and dirt reaching her from where she silently observed. Turning to leave again the unmistakable whoosh and rush of air which accompanied airjitzu made her turn, looking up as Kai span himself quickly up and above the monastery, the pause as his momentum slowed and his freefall began taking her breath away, concern suddenly flooding her as she watched her brother begin to fall. But she need not have worried as he quickly moved and summoned Flame, the majestic beast rearing its head as the ninja landed on its back, arms circling the dragon's muscular neck in a hug.

Then the panic returned as she watched Kai turn the beast towards the direction of the city. Specifically towards the dock area.

 _Oh no, Kai, don't…_

She held her breath nervously as she watched her brother hovering above her, intently focussing his energy towards that warehouse, seemingly paused before he chose to embark, the dragon's wings a steady fire filled thrum through the air, power poised and ready…

 _Don't do it, Kai. Please…_

Nya exhaled with relief as he suddenly released the dragon, making up his mind and allowing himself to freefall again as a fiery streak, a fireball plummeting back to the earth. As he neatly landed and straightened himself back up the fire surrounding him immediately dissipated. The Master of Fire looked up and met the eyes of his sister with a small tight smile; there was no sign of surprise in his features at seeing her, and she wondered if he had known she was there the whole time.

"You should go back to bed and get some sleep, sis'."

She turned and watched as he walked past her through the doorway, making his way to the fridge quietly.

"Kai, are you okay? It's fine if you're not…" She spoke in an urgent, hushed whisper, not wanting to wake the nearby Ringo who still softly snored on the sofa.

Finishing gulping from the bottled water he had grabbed, he screwed the cap back on as he met her concerned gaze.

"I'm not, but I am. If you know what I mean? We just need to get this resolved, one way or another."

Nya quietly wound her way over, grabbing her sibling and hugging him tightly. He dropped his head onto her shoulder, closing his eyes and soaking in the moment.

"I don't know how this is all going to turn out, but I'm so glad I have you back. I'm so glad _we_ have you back."

He clutched onto his sister's pyjama top more tightly, sighing and pulling her closer.

"So am I, sis'. So am I."

* * *

She turned over in her bed, the flashes of him standing in that alleyway cursing her. _With that curly haired girl._ Her fists curled and she bunched up the covers around her, feeling rather than seeing the purple haze clouding around the edges of her vision. She viciously turned onto her side, slamming a fist down onto the concrete floor underneath the thin mattress, blowing the purple away and allowing the tears to prick in the corners of her eyes. She tried to focus on better memories, smiling as her mind's eye watched him holding onto her hands and allowing her to pull him off the ledge and into that pool at that little onsen they had gone to, his eyes trusting and filled with love as the warm water had enveloped them both.

She sighed, the tears silently flowing now.

 _This would all be over soon._

She bit her lip at the realisation, tasting the iron filled, bitterness of her blood, wiping at her eyes as she screwed them tightly shut, pulling the covers back over herself and trying to muffle her sobs.


	27. Rebound

**Ahhh so this took me a while and several drafts to get it to come together how I wanted it, so sorry for the wait!**

 **Thank you for the amazing reviews! Big mentions and thanks to Masters of Fire and Amber, RPM Shadow and RandomDragon2.0.**

 **CuddleLover - you make me laugh so much with your hugely emotional honesty. I hope you like where this is going.**

 **Skylor Chan - I am so moved that my writing made you feel like this (and I apologise as well for it!)**

 **Jaell – I'm sorry! :)**

 **FireBoi206 – thank you so, so much for your incredibly kind words. They really do mean so much.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much.**

* * *

 ** _Rebound._**

"Lloyd they are turning into the drive for the prison now."

The crouched green ninja jumped slightly as Zane's smooth tones crackled over the comms, his eyes looking up and locking with those of Jay who was similarly crouched alongside him up on the walls of Kryptarium Prison, hidden from view of the patrolling guards.

He lifted his arm and whispered back into the comms. "We read you Zane, hold back until they have entered the building. Cole, that's you as well" As both ninjas acknowledged receipt of the order he stole a glance behind him to where Nya was poised alongside her brother on the roof top of the nearby out building, having arrived from their positions at the edge of the city as soon as it became apparent that their initial suspicions had been correct; Skylor and Chamille were coming for Garmadon. With FSM knows how many oni as well…

Lloyd shook his head, willing that little thought away, tightening his hold on the brickwork he crouched on as the wind howled and whirled around them, the freezing rain which had decided to welcome them on this mission pelting them, making the exposed flesh on his face sting. He pulled his hood down tighter, his mind wondering with mild surprise how he had not heard a complaint or curse about the weather once from their newly returned, wet and cold hating red clad brother. But then he also knew from closely and discretely watching Kai during that long, painfully slow morning of waiting and planning, how anxious the Master of Fire was, and how hard he was working on keeping his emotions in check. Lloyd chewed on his lip as he watched the lithe, red figure adjust his position, flattening himself down into the roof tiles.

Who knew how this whole mess was going to turn out for any of them.

The approaching headlights caught his attention, and they all readied themselves, six pairs of hidden eyes watching intently.

* * *

Misako grinned, laughing at the melee of ninjas piled on top of each other on the small screen of Ringo's camera as they sat together at the kitchen table in the monastery.

"You have a talent for capturing the emotion of a moment, Ringo." The student looked like she would burst with pride, pushing her glasses back up her nose as her cheeks flushed.

"I, well…I… thank you, Misako. That's, that's really, really kind of you."

"What sort of photography would you like to be doing when you graduate, do you think?" Ringo looked up into the soft, grey eyes of Lloyd's mother, beaming.

"Reportage. I want to photograph the important moments in Ninjago as they happen, in the moment. I want to document it all and show people the _real_ happenings." Her curls cascaded around her as she looked down, flicking back through some of the images she had snapped over the last couple of nights, smiling and zooming in on one she had taken of what she now knew was Nya and Jay arriving on their bikes at the docks, admiring the poise and unspoken power of the couple.

"Well it would certainly appear that you stand every chance of being successful with this… what is it now? Reportage? Style of photography." Ringo smiled and thanked the old sensei as he placed a mug of steaming tea on the table next to her, but the smile soon weakened as she flicked back to the pictures of the ninja team's recent reunion.

"Come now, I assure you they will be fine. Do not worry yourself with moments which are beyond your ability to alter. They are a strong team, and we must have faith in them."

She smiled again, looking into the wise eyes of their sensei.

"Sensei Wu, may I take a photograph of you?"

Wu raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Uh…"

"Oh go on, Wu. Let her capture you!" Misako sent a friendly elbow into the elder's ribs.

"Oh, okay then. So be it." Ringo grinned and lifted up the camera, adjusting the settings and focusing the lens upon those astute, wise eyes.

* * *

"Okay, they're in. Just to confirm, Skylor is in my form and Chamille is in Cole's. Are we already?" Lloyd waited, counting in each ninja's affirmations, readying himself as he waited, waiting for the one he needed to hear the most. They all paused.

"Kai?"

He could hear Nya softly whisper her brother's name, their gis gently rustling as she moved closer to him, no doubt placing an arm on her brother's arm or shoulder, then the slow, deep exhale.

"Ready." The voice was steady, calm and resolute. That was all Lloyd needed.

"Okay. Then let's go."

Lloyd wasn't surprised to see Kai's red flash of airjitzu zip up above them immediately, shadowed closely by the grey rush which was Nya. Both whirlwinds landed inside the prison courtyard neatly and precisely, followed by the rest of the team. The two guards jumped up, Zane and Jay quickly disabling them as they landed in the compound. The team turned and began making their way quickly to the medical wing. Thankfully, it appeared that the superintendent had made good on his promise to mute the alarm should one of the guards try to sound it, Lloyd having met with him earlier and tried to explain (without giving away too much) that the team may need to enter the prison that day, but no he could not tell him why just to _trust him_ and _please_ not sound the alarm.

"But…But you've just…?" The guard behind the stark desk piled high with files stood, perplexed alongside a doctor, both looking to the green and black ninjas before turning open mouthed towards the fourth door on the right of the long, white corridor, their actions confirming where the team needed to be.

"Yes, yes. We know, they look _awfully_ familiar." Jay muttered as they pushed on, sliding to a halt in front of the door before Lloyd silently counted them in.

Chamille's purple hair swung around her, eyes wide with shock as she jumped back from the splintering door as Cole barrelled through, grabbing hold of her roughly around the shoulders. She laughed as he spun her around.

"Oh, but little ninja squad, you're far too late."

"No!" They all turned as Lloyd yelled, running over to the bed where Skylor leaned over, dripping the last of the brown liquid matter from the vial she held into the roughly parted, unconscious lips of Garmadon, a trickle of the foul substance coursing down the side of his cheek and pooling onto the crisp, white hospital pillow beneath his dark head.

Chamille laughed again, head thrown back as the mad laughter echoed around them, Lloyd pushing the Master of Amber out of the way as he fell to his knees at the bedside.

"Even if you killed us both now you could not stop them. It is fruitless. Their time has now come."

"Who is they?" Chamille ignored Zane's icy tone, her head whipping round as violent coughing came from the bed, Lloyd standing as Garmadon's body heaved and choked, a cruel smile plastered across her face. Cole frowned and held onto her tighter as Kai pushed past, reaching for Lloyd and pulling him back as they watched, transfixed as the dark warlord re-awoke.

Skylor's abrupt scream rang through them as she collapsed over the bed, her hand stretching out to grasp onto one of the limp black ones which lay, convulsing, on the bed sheets as she held her head with her other hand, teeth gritted, and eyes screwed tightly shut with pain. The sudden burst of purple energy which eradiated from her, enveloping the Master of Creation and his symbiote, the screams of her pain echoing around them, was blinding, the swirls of glittering purple malice lifting from her writhing form and vacuuming into the lurching, dark form.

As the last of the energy left her she collapsed, crumpled onto the hard, cold floor whilst Chamille continued to laugh, ignoring Cole's frown and narrowed eyes. Kai dragged Lloyd back, away from the bed, Nya and PIXAL grabbing hold of the green gi and helping him, not taking their eyes away from the slowly rising dark form of Lord Garmadon.

"No!" Lloyd was up in a flash, dropping into an offensive stance as he stared into the dark, glittering eyes of the taller, dark figure of his father.

"No. Do not do this again." Lloyd quickly cast around at his team. "Do not fight him. Under _any_ circumstances" He hissed quickly, before turning back.

Garmadon laughed, a deep, cruel laugh which chilled the ninja to the inner core of their very existence, as he pulled the wires and monitors leads off of his body, tossing them aside.

"Oh my dear, sweet little green ninja. It is not me that you need to worry about now. Not now that they have assembled." The four black hands raised up, purple energy hissing and humming in-between them, building before rising and shooting out above him, burning a hole through the ceiling and beyond as easily as a knife through butter.

"Not now that they have been assembled _and now called_."

* * *

Ringo smiled as the shutter quickly recorded several frames of the moment, capturing the lightly smiling sensei, his eyes wide with mirth. She inwardly cursed as she quickly thumbed through the shots, realising she had stupidly set up the flash so that it had rebounded from the retinas of his eyes, frowning at the purple which seemed to shine from within them.


	28. The Beginning

**Huge thanks go out to you all, but massive thanks to Skylor Chan, CuddleLover, RandomDragon 2.0, RPM Shadow and FireBoi206 – your reviews really do spur me on!**

 **I promise any similarities between In Your Eyes and the (fantastic looking!) trailers for March of the Oni are coincidental... I did think about changing my ideas up to move away from the similar bits, but decided against it.**

 **The intensity is building for the team now…enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **The Beginning.**_

The ninja looked to each other, confused and shocked, as Garmadon's menacing laugh continued to ring around them, his sharp teeth glinting as he threw his head back with wild, unbridled mirth, debris cascading down around him as the purple destruction melted through the roof above. Before any of them could intervene he had snapped his powers shut, the force of the abruptly halted onslaught too much for the barely standing roof, tiles and girders falling as the Master of Destruction strode away from where he had lain, powerless, for so long, kicking Skylor's crumpled figure out of his path as he passed.

None of them were quick enough to prevent two of those four, long, dark arms from obtaining the grasp he now firmly had locked around the green ninja's fragile neck.

"No!" The red ninja's shout shook the others into action as they all dropped into defensive stances as Kai gasped and ran forward, an arm instinctively reaching up behind him and finding the hilt of his katana as he advanced, the vision of Lloyd dangling limply like a ragdoll as Garmadon lifted the struggling ninja filling his vision, the un-refrained howling winter weather whipped around them.

"No, stop Kai." Arm still reached behind him but eyes wide as he searched Lloyd's screwed up face, Kai skidded to a halt, biting his lip hard as he watched the ugly crimson filling up under the flesh of his master who panted, squirming to turn towards Kai under the solid grip around his throat. The violent wind sending his spikes into a frenzy around his face as he swallowed, those steady green eyes as commanding as ever as he turned his head as best he could to meet those fire filled ones.

"- must not… fight him." The words were stifled, barely comprehensible as the green ninja wheezed, but it was enough to stop the fire elemental, although he still drew his weapon, the long, deadly blade held above him and a defensive arm held out across his front, poised and ready, eyes narrowed as he switched to watching the Master of Destruction unwaveringly.

"You were all fools. You still are. I warned you; you did nothing. And now all of Ninjago will pay for your complacency." Garmadon lifted the limp green ninja higher, his harsh eyes narrowed as he looked directly into his son's defiantly shining ones.

"I should crush you now but it will give me far greater satisfaction watching you and your little ninja friends run around on a fool's errand, trying to save what is now irrevocably lost." The sharp teeth glinted as he hissed the words straight into his son's face.

"You will watch everything in Ninjago be destroyed; and you will know that it is all _your_ fault."

"No."

The single word hung heavily around them all as Lloyd's head dropped, a blonde shock of hair falling forward from under his hood as a tear dropped onto the polished concrete floor below where his feet hung. Kai raised his katana higher and leaned forward, barely contained as the freezing rain rebegan it's pelting assault on the team through the abyss in the prison roof.

"Would you just shut up already?!" Cole had spun the cackling Chamille towards him, scowling at the girl as the wind whipped at her purple hair.

"Oh, you want me to be quiet? You think you can tell me, the Master of Form, what to do?" Cole gasped and let go as her body darkened, the muscles and flesh twisting and contorting as it grew and morphed, limbs elongating and bulking at the same time; the shape of a truly terrifying horned figure stood over Cole, eyes glowering as she looked down.

"You always looked down on me, Master of Earth." Chamille spat the words out, her oni form towering above them all, purple eyes burning brightly.

"Well the time of Wu's remarkable little elemental ninja is over. It's amazing what a little oni heritage could do for you in these new times…" As she paused she looked pointedly at the limply hanging form of the green ninja, his bright eyes briefly flickering up to her and narrowing before looking back down to the floor.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! So what are you now, oni or what?"

Chamille turned to face the blue ninja just as he suddenly charged her, deftly dodging Zane's attempt to grab his lightening fast body as he streaked past and advanced on the oni form, static charge filling the room as he swung the nunchucks above his head. Lloyd gurgled out what sounded like a choked _Jay!_ but it was too late. Garamadon's elemental power collided with the blue ninja's force with a soul crushing crack, the roaring ripping its way through all their ears, deafening them as it gripped and tore what remained of the roof wide open. Rubble collapsed around them as the outer wall started to come down with it, dust falling around them as the wind tore through and created a painful, deadly mix with the pelting rain and wind. Nya cried out as Jay flew back across the room, head meeting wall with a resounding crack. The silver ninja ripped the arm off her gi as she skidded onto her knees beside his unconscious form, quickly applying pressure to the deep, ugly wound across the blue ninja's face, the blood seeping around the cloth.

Gritting his teeth Kai inched his katana forward, his powers raging in the balls of his hands, the fire twisting and running down the channels and lines of the blade like molten lava, flickering at its edge as the wind lashed around him, hair battered as he kept his eyes on those purple malice filled ones, only flicking briefly to take in the stances of his remaining comrades as they took up defensive positions around the glowering oni form of Chamille and Garamadon. The prison's alarm finally sounded, piercing through the howling wind.

"Time to go and meet the family, Garm'?" Chamille chuckled as she brazenly eyed Cole, laughing more as he raised his hammer up.

"Yes, I believe it is time."

Kai ran forward as Garmadon threw Lloyd down to the ground, not unalike one would a discarded soda can, crumpled and empty before being flung emotionlessly to the ground. The pair suddenly launched themselves backward out of the broken wall. The Master of Fire skidded to a stop as he reached the edge of the building, peering through the gaping hole, eyes narrowed as he watched as the pair rose up on their elemental dragons into the gloomy, grey sky, Chamille's purple beast dwarfed by the magnificent black dragon whose wings beat slowly and powerfully as it rose into the gloomy sky before turning and sweeping out.

Kai lowered his katana, the flames continuing to lick and flicker around the blade as his eyes blazed, hair blowing wildly as he leant forward, taking on a stance ready for airjitzu.

"No, Kai. Let them go." Lloyd coughed, a trembling hand tenderly feeling his neck before shaking off Zane's gently offered assistance as he lifted himself back onto his feet. Kai turned, his eyes incredulous.

"We have to; we have no other choice right now. If we fight him, we fuel his powers further."

Kai struck the wall with his open palm, letting out a howl of frustration before turning back to watch the rapidly disappearing dragons, the heavy thrum from the wing beats already starting to fade into the distance. He could hear Jay softly whimper behind him, Nya whispering tenderly as she and PIXAL tended to his wounds. He looked up into the skies and closed his eyes, the stinging from the rain bringing an odd, sharp comfort.

Her groan snapped his eyes open and he spun back around, dimly noticing the flames channeling down his swords edge before he withdrew the power, jumping over the rubble and slowly lowering himself down next to her crouched, miserable form, concern flooding his face.

"Sky…?" He tentatively reached out, his hand hovering as something stopping the black gloved hand from touching her, ignoring every impulse in his body to reach forward and hold onto her, never letting her go again. He quickly yanked the hand back as she slowly opened her eyes and gasped, his red gi kneeling before her flooding her senses, her body involuntarily jerking up and pressing back into the wall behind her, chest heaving.

"Sky, its ok. You're safe…" That familiar, soft voice was soothing, prompting memories of that same tone lulling her awake one morning in her apartment. Skylor closed her eyes as her mind's eye regressed, watching him in the early morning light turning as he awoke, blinking the sleep from his eyes, beaming as her sleepy eyes met with his. Her breath hitched as she re-felt his firm but gentle hold, one hand sweeping her hair which was cascading over her face back behind her ears She had returned the gesture, sweeping an adorably sleep tousled spike back away from his eyes as she had gripped onto that perfectly toned torso, fingers tracing one of the many scars lining his body…His voice then his kiss lulling her awake…

Her eyes flicked up and met with his as he slowly straightened in front of her, exhaling softly as he searched and found nothing but the deep, endless clear green of her irises.

Her eyes.

She could feel the tears welling as she gazed back, watching the dancing amber inside the deep, warm chocolate brown of his eyes, loosing herself as she reached up shakily and sought to remember each familiar mark and line of his scarred, ruggedly handsome face. Then stopping. Tears pooled in her eyes as her hand hovered at the edge of _that_ scar. The one that was that little bit deeper, that little bit redder, rawer, fresher than it should be.

And she remembered it all, the alarms surrounding them suddenly piercing through her ears as she came back to full, unadulterated reality.

And with all her might she pushed the red ninja back, sending him skidding across the floor into Cole, the muscular arms gripping the more lithe ones of Kai and supporting him as he weakly held himself up against the earth elemental.

"No! Keep back from me!" Her red hair swung around her as she straightened herself up, face filled with turmoil, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Lloyd, we need to get Jay out of here." Nya spoke urgently, her grey gi now saturated with deep, ugly maroon. Lloyd nodded, his eyes unfocussed as he listened, shouts from around the prison reaching the team _there's something coming… What is that?..._

They could all hear the screams, Zane catching a hold of a warden as they ran past, eyes wide with panic.

"What is happening?"

"The black… a smoke…get out of here! You need to get out of here!" Zane released his grip, allowing the panicked guard to go before he strode out into the main ward, dodging more running guards as he made his way to the middle of the compound.

Skylor saw her opportunity and jumped up lithely onto the crumbling wall, hair flying around her as she paused, eyes haunted as she looked back at the team, lingering on Kai's helpless ones before turning and jumping straight out of the building, hair and clothes billowing behind her in the now near gale-force wind. He ran forward, a strangled _no_ escaping him as he reached the wall, hands desperately clinging onto the crumbling debris as he leaned over, urgently seeking her.

"There is some kind of smoke emanating from the lower areas of the prison." Zane's voice crackled over the comms, Lloyd glancing over to Cole.

"Lloyd, the people it, it consumes…" Zane faltered, sending dread surging through them all.

"…it seems to be changing them, sending them…mad. They are attacking each other. Its terrifying."

Nya gasped, her hands pressed against Jay's wounds, eyes boring into Lloyd. Kai looked steadily at his katana hilt before swallowing and returning to looking out into the wind and rain before spying her with relief, her elemental dragon battling against the wind and heading away from Kryptarium.

Lloyd followed his gaze, seeing the shimmering scales as the creature of myth and legend's wings beat laboriously, rising and battling against the atrocious wintery elements. He reached one arm for his brother before speaking into his comms through the microphone on the other.

"Zane, get back here. Kai."

The red ninja turned, emotion written all over his face as the amber swirled and danced in his eyes.

"Go. Follow her."

Kai looked back to the green ninja, his eye brows furrowed with confusion as he shook his head.

"No, we need to-"

"No, I need to. You need to go and bring her back to us. We need her and what she knows."

Not needing to be told again Kai airjitzued straight up into the freezing rain, ignoring the pain as it stung against him as he summoned his energy and pushed it outside of the confines of his body, feeling the release as Flame roared into life around him, large wings rippling and smouldering.

"I'm not going until I know you are all safe." Kai shouted into his comms, legs gripping onto the warm, muscular body tightly against the wind, his stomach lurching slightly as a stronger gust knocked Flame's flight, sending the dragon into a brief dive before recovering and beating its wings powerfully to regain height.

"It's okay Kai, we're on it!"

He looked down as Lloyd summoned his own energy, the powerful, sleek form of the green dragon bursting into life as he jumped from the building, hovering as Nya tossed Jay's sickeningly limp frame up to him before summoning her own water dragon. PIXAL gracefully leapt onto the shining, white scaled neck of Zane's ice dragon as he joined them alongside the bulkier, muscular frame of the black ninja's dragon.

"Kai, go now. Before it's too late."

Kai looked down, the wind howling around the blonde mop of hair that his little brother called a style, his green eyes narrowed against the pelting rain as he looked up and grimly smiled and nodded before the Master of Fire turned, chasing the disappearing shimmering orange dragon before him.

* * *

Ringo muttered, shaking her head as she looked back over to where Wu was now standing with his back to her.

"Wu, sorry, Sensei, could I possibly retake that photo? Some funny trick of the light has ruined the others…"

Her voice trailed off as she looked to the elder figure, noticing the whites of his knuckles as he gripped the side of the cabinet he was leaning against.

"…err, Sensei? Are you okay?"

Misako looked up, lightly frowning as she stepped over.

"Wu…?" Misako's voice was soft and concerned. "Wu, are you feeling-"

"GET OUT!" They both jumped as the old sensei straightened, throwing his bo staff to the floor as he reached out to lean on the wall. Misako pulled Ringo back, moving them away as Wu clawed at the wall, his nails scratching and bloodying with the deliberate force of his movements.

"Wu…?" Lloyd's mother pushed the young student behind her as the sensei turned, his eyes flashing menacingly as he eyed the two before him, licking his lips and starting forward. His eyes suddenly widened as he grabbed the table beside him, leaning heavily on it and panting, his face filled with restraint,

"Misako – get out!"


	29. Freefall

**So many fantastic reviews, I love you all!**

 **Special mentions to Masters of Fire and Amber, Skylor Chan, Amanda, lloydskywalkers, RPM Shadow and Guest (I promise you I don't work for Ninjago at all, although I wish I did!).**

 **Here's the next instalment, I'm hoping I've managed to keep the pace up with this...**

* * *

 _ **Freefall.**_

Driving the fire dragon hard, Kai soon caught up with the brilliant orange dragon which belonged to Skylor, its long, elegant wings struggling against the merciless wind as she pushed the beast towards the sun which was already beginning its nightly descent. Kai could see just from the way the iridescent, shimmering creature held its legs awkwardly under its body that Skylor was fraught and tiring. But he also knew that it took more than fatigue to stop Skylor.

The look she gave him as he drew alongside her nearly stopped him in his tracks, faltering and feeling his heart plummet down, out of the sky, crashing into the woodland below them, ripping through the trees and sending branches torn and broken in its wake.

But he would not, _could_ not stop.

"What are you _doing_ Kai?!" She nearly did send him plummeting into the trees as she veered violently towards him, voice filled with anguish as she cried out, the strong spiked tail rippling through the air as it smashed into Flame's long, burly neck. The sudden, brutal contact sent stray tendrils of flames spiralling around both dragons as the Flame was forced to dip in the air, faltering before pushing to regain altitude. Kai gripped his knees tighter around the burning, muscled torso, urging the blazing beast back up alongside her, flames streaking behind them.

"Skylor, stop. We need to talk, you can't run from this!" Kai shouted over the screaming wind, eyes narrowed against the rain as he surveyed her. Those deep green eyes were set as she glared back at him, long hair tearing around her wildly. But her mouth giving away a soft tremble.

"Sky…"

She dove suddenly underneath them, forcing the red ninja to pull Flame into an abrupt stop as the force of their jetstream threatened to unbalance him. Desperately Kai looked around, trying to see where she had gone, deftly keeping the red beast hovering as best he could as the wind battered and pulled at them, threatening to unseat the ninja at any moment. Cursing he rubbed at his eyes, the smoke which was now swirling and twisting in the air around them stinging as he scoured the countryside, frowning and calling her name out into the extremities of the rapidly fading day. _Damn this stupid smoke_. He swiped at his watering eyes, teeth gritted with frustration before the realisation hit him. Smoke, ash…ash, smoke… Ash! She was using borrowed powers.

Ignoring the wind and rain which were making the smooth scales of Flame's back even more slippery and precarious then normal, he jumped up, stretching out and balancing on the muscular back as he stood, arms extended and legs bending to absorb the jerking rolling of the dragon's powerful muscles as Flame struggled to maintain their elevation against the wind. Kai felt like he was riding an out of control wave on the realm's strangest surf board...Swallowing he quickly tried to push that thought from his mind, concentrating instead on balancing as he twisted around, following the broken trail of smoke billowing around him then leading out, away towards a slight clearing…

There! As the Master of Amber and her dragon shimmered back into view he gave a small satisfied grunt before jumping back down, straddling the great beast beneath him as he sharply directed them both back down, pitching into a shallow, dangerous turn, using the velocity from the near loop to speed towards the pair at break neck speed. She looked up as she heard then saw the streaking dragon fireball as they rocketed down towards her, her own shimmering beast beating her tired wings to soar up and face the red one, Skylor's face fierce as she waited knowing she had no more strength left within her to try and outrun him again. Flame's wings fully outstretched as he used them to slow and anchor alongside her, the fire dancing from the ends of the glowering wings.

The two beasts hung mid-air in front of each other, slowly circling, wings rhythmically beating as each waited for the other to make the next move, atmosphere tense.

Kai groaned, leaning forward, a hand outstretched as his face softened, searching her rigid expression.

"Skylor, please-"

This time he did tumble as she pushed her whole dragon, her whole being, into him, the two beasts suddenly locked into a perilous, tangled mess of shimmering limbs and flailing wings, sending them into an uncontrollable spiral falling like a rock from the sky. The snapping branches of the trees caused both elemental masters to cry out as they snagged and ripped into gi and flesh, the fire dragon instinctively curling into a ball around the smaller amber one as they rapidly approached the boggy, forest floor.

They rolled together as a knotted jumble for a few dozen metres before the momentum of the impact slowed and they came to a final, smouldering halt. Kai gulped in heaving mouthfuls of air from where he lay, momentarily stunned, gripping tightly to the red muscular neck as Flame unfurled his red, leathery wings which were still protectively wrapped around the heaving, glowing body of Skylor's elemental essence trapped underneath them. Kai watched, fascinated, as the bright orange scales seemed to swirl and irradiate colours from within them, the smooth scales radiant with the inky iridescence of blues, greens, reds… so many colours shining from within but never losing that orange glow. He sighed with relief as Skylor pulled herself up from under one of those long orange wings, rubbing her head but appearing unharmed.

The two dragons eyed each other from where they lay getting their breath back, the larger, smouldering eyes of Flame looking down into the smaller, fiercely blinking eyes of the amber one who was softly blowing steam out of her nostrils from where she was trapped under the heavier torso of the fire beast. They remained in this hesitant stalemate before the smaller slowly reached up, arching her neck gracefully as she nuzzled the larger male, both sets of huge, lizard like eyes closing. The touch sent a jolt coursing through the red ninja, his eyes flicking up and meeting those of the orange ninja, her own eyes wide, seemingly having also felt the jolt as the two dragons touched.

She stood, soaking wet hair landing heavily on her shoulders as she released her dragon and landed on the floor. Kai quickly following suit and released Flame, knees bending to absorb the impact as he landed on the wet forest floor. He quickly straightened as she strode over, her face rigid.

"Why are you doing this? Just let me go! Let me leave, and…and…"

Kai tilted his head to one side, brows furrowed. "Because we need you."

Waving her hands in the air and gesticulating widely, she narrowed her eyes. "After everything I've done?! I can't even control my own power, what use am I to you?" She looked down, feet kicking and scraping at the wet, muddied floor beneath her. "I'm no ninja. Just look what I've caused!"

"Is that what you think? That this is your fault?" Kai frowned as he watched the younger red head pacing, her shoes churning the mud around her as she threw her hands up.

"Well who else is to blame now, Kai? Jeez, I mean you, of all people, should realise that!"

"Skylor, stop. You can help us to stop them. Help us stop the oni; you have been around them, you must have information that we need to-"

"But how can _you_ stand to be anywhere near _me_ after...after everything…?" She froze, gulping and turning away, one hand reaching up and forcing her hair roughly back from her face whilst strategically trying to wipe away a rebellious tear streaking down her cheek before he noticed it. "After everything I have done…" The whisper tugged at him, tearing straight through him.

"Because this," His voice was quiet but resolute as he took a step forward, grabbing her hand before placing it firmly on the scar above his eye, the one which was still so raw he flinched at the touch. "This was never you."

She tried to pull away, closing her eyes as she felt the puckered flesh, her head turning away as the rebellious single tear morphed into a fountain of remorse. Skylor's shoulders heaved as she tried to hold in the sobs, her fingers gently tracing the scar before she lowered her hand to his cheek. Kai gently interlaced his fingers with hers before slowly placing his other hand in the small of her back and lightly pulled her into him. Her head fell forward, cradling into his chest as he held onto her closely, sighing as he burrowed his face into her hair slightly, breathing in the familiar, welcoming scent.

"None of this was you, Sky." He held her tightly as she continued to sob, not noticing the unrelenting rain soaking through his gi and cascading down his back, pooling in the creases of his obi. Eventually the sobs slowed and softened and she pulled back from him, wiping her eyes as she looked up into his face, green eyes sorrowful as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for this... or if we can ever be…together again…" She looked down at his hand, still holding onto hers.

Kai took a slow, sad inhale, releasing her hand and taking the other away from his cheek as he nodded, grasping them both in his before bringing them up to his lips and placing a soft kiss on them.

"I know...I know." The whispered words hung between them, the sounds of the rain falling through the trees and dripping down through the bare branches echoing around them as they stood, eyes closed and heads bowed before each other.

"But will you help us?"

She looked up, avoiding meeting those soulful brown eyes as she nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I will." Kai nodded, looking up into the rain as he began summoning his energy once again.

"Then we need to go."

* * *

"Zane, do you remember this?" Cole's voice was strained, anxious, quiet. Very uncharacteristic of the unshakable ninja of earth.

"Yes. When the overlord was here. It appears to be Dark Matter." They hovered high up over the small village, wings beating with slow, steady rhythm as they watched the dark, billowing smoke crawl its way around the houses and buildings. They both winced at the screams, trying not to watch the flailing figures attacking each other within the dark, choking smog.

"I can see one." Cole suddenly darted down, the earth dragon's large claws firmly and carefully wrapping around a child who had appeared in a top floor window, screaming for help. Zane scanned the neighbouring houses, searching for more citizens he could evacuate away from the… Dark Matter. His heart sunk as he spotted no other.

"We'll move onto the next village once we've dropped this little guy off. Come on." Zane nodded and turned with Cole, heading swiftly to the caves where they had moved the other survivors they had found, protected by Pix in her summoned samurai suit.

"Hopefully Lloyd will be back out with us soon. Along with Kai."

Zane gave a small grunt into his comms, trying to sound positive and reassuring for his brother.

The truth was Zane had never felt so scared.

* * *

The ground far beneath them looked eerily quiet, the shadows cast by the green and greyish blue dragons racing across the deserted road below them as they made their way back to the Unclimbable Mountain.

"Misako, Wu, Ringo... please come in. Do any of you read me?" Nya looked over to Lloyd, frowning as she failed again to get anyone at the monastery to respond to her calls. They really needed to get the medical room ready for Jay as soon as possible… And no one answering was really starting to make the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. Lloyd suddenly looked up, his expression unreadable from this angle. She watched as he mouthed something at her, gesturing widely.

"Lloyd, what is it?"

A cold chill ran through her as the green ninja seemed to slump slightly over the still unconcious form of Jay from where he lay across the green dragon's shoulders. The blonde suddenly sat bolt back upright, looking peculiarly rigid as he yanked back on the leather dragon reins.

Okay, the hairs on the back of her neck were definitely standing up now.

"Lloyd…?"

Did the green dragon just... flicker? She pushed her own dragon over, the sudden velocity nearly unseating her as she barrelled across into the green ninja's airstream, ducking under the beating, faltering wings as she circled, trying to get closer.

And screamed as the green dragon flickered out, the bodies of Jay and Lloyd free falling into the dark, saturated sky, hurtling towards the distant cold, hard ground.


	30. The Fallen

**Apologies this has taken a little while to update, life you know? Meh, gets in the way of writing sometimes! But here it is, a shorty but hopefully a goodie!**

 **Huge, mahoosive shout outs for the simply awesome reviews, especially to lloydskywalkers for all round making me smile (thank you, thank you, thank you!), Jaell for the fab support (fluff will be coming I promise! But you have to endure a bit more angst first...), RPM Shadow, randomdragon2.0 and skylor chan for helping spur me on and CuddleLover for making me laugh.**

 **Enjoy guys!**

* * *

 ** _The Fallen_**

 _"_ _Misako – get out!"_

The greying archaeologist had been around enough strange and irregular occurrences to know when to follow an instruction directly and without hesitation or question.

And this was definitely one of those occasions.

Misako grabbed Ringo's long sleeve tee clad arm and practically bundled her out of the monastery door. The student stumbled into the training yard, eyes wide and mouth open as she turned to the green ninja's mom, one hand automatically flinging the camera strap back around her neck and securing it to her.

"No no no no no no no! Don't stop, don't look – just run Ringo! Run!"

And the sight behind Misako, through those doors, clutching and scraping itself along the kitchen floor with such…malevolence… The purple flashing behind its eyes stopping her in her tracks… The thing that was Wu (used to be Wu?) let out a deep, guttural cry, making Ringo cry out and clamp a hand firmly over her mouth, eyes widening. That certainly convinced Ringo that she shoud get as much distance as she could between her and whatever that now was. And it was certainly no longer the old spinjitzu sensei. Her long curls whipped behind her as she turned and flew between the training equipment, Misako right behind her.

As they neared the large, heavy oak doors leading to the outside of the monastery Ringo could feel her breath quickening, the panic building and making her eyesight blur as she tried to block out the sounds of the creature just behind them, its strangled, terrifying cries a blood curdling mixture of anguish and excitement. Misako reached and thumped a switch by the door, putting the rotating training machinery into action. They both heard the immediate thump and scraping across the floor, so she stole a quick glance behind her, eyeing the heavy punch bag slowly spinning on its axis beside the slumped, white robed figure. Misako took the younger girl by the arms, spinning her and looking her in the eyes directly.

"Whatever happens next you must go, without me if necessary. You must find the ninja and tell them what has happened here. But you _must go_."

Swallowing, Ringo slowly nodded, eyes reluctantly travelling back and locking onto that slumped figure which was once again emanating a low growl which surely must have originated in the Underworld, its bloodied fingers stretching out and clutching at the dusty ground beneath it. The growl echoed in her mind…

"Ringo! Ringo, you must go! Now! Here!" Misako pushed the keys into her shaking fingers and she clutched at them, confused.

"But, but what…what is he?"

"I do not know. But he is nothing more than I have dealt with before. Now go, child. Get away from here and warn them!"

Ringo tried to summon her strength, looking up into the resolute face of Misako and feeling nothing but weak. The elder woman studied her kindly, the lines in her kind face creasing as she nodded and smiled reassuringly. Swallowing, Ringo looked down before squeezing Misako's hands and grabbing her camera from where it still hung around her neck, snapping a shot of what was Wu and turning, running out of those huge doors, those glowing eyes staring at her from under the bamboo hat imprinted into her mind.

She could hear the creature lifting itself back up as she ran around the edge of the walls, chest heaving as she leaned back on the ancient brickwork, closing her eyes and listening intently. Misako's plucky, steadily soft voice rang out.

"Wu. Fight this with me. Together. We both know you are stronger than this."

The following sounds brought tears to her eyes and sent the student back into hasty, stumbling flight. Away from the monastery as quickly as her legs could carry her.

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon…"

The jagged rocks of the mountainside loomed closer and closer, the harsh landscape coming into scarily full, technicolour view as Nya hurtled towards the ground. With long wings streamlined back against the aqua-grey scaled back she streaked through the air on her dragon, the water elemental hurtling downwards, spiralling dangerously as she tried to catch up with the blue and green blurs which were plummeting towards that perilous ground below her at break-neck speed. She could feel the sting of the tears gathering in her eyes, soaking into her hood with the force of the dive. She narrowed those fierce eyes in concentration.

She had to do this; she had to reach them.

Both of them. There was no other option.

One of the dragon's claws reached out, muscles straining as she neared Jay's flailing, somersaulting body, urgently reaching a sharp talon out to catch hold of him, desperately lunging and trying to hook any part of the blue so to catch him like some kind of perverse game of hook-a-duck.

"Darn it!" The clawed grip snagged on the lightweight gi but it ripped, sending Jay into an awkward, fast spin away from her and the taloned grasp.

"No, no no no!" Vaguely aware she was starting to sound like her brother, Nya grit her teeth and pushed herself harder, willing all of her strength into the great water beast.

But it just was not enough.

 _I 'm not fast enough. ._

The tears flowed harder as she watched the two ninja, her adopted little brother and her love, careering towards the ground.

 _I was to slow._

 _I am so sorry…_

She couldn't bear to look as the two approached the rock laden stretch, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the sound of the inevitable, a hand clamped over her silently screaming mouth.

* * *

"First Spinjitsu Master, finally. I've been trying to hold of one of you for ages!"

Kai threw his hands in the air, blowing his cheeks out in relief as Cole's voice crackled back to him over the com link.

"Where are you Kai?"

"Not far from the Corridor of Elders. Wait…why? Cole, what's going on?"

The fire dragon pulled up in an abrupt, mid-air stop, the great wings beating as the dragon and master hovered, Flame tossing his head into the air and pulling on the reins impatiently. Skylor slowed alongside them, her tired eyes questioning as she watched Kai frown and sit up straighter.

"Cole. What is happening?" Kai's left hand curled tightly around the reins, the thin wisps dancing from the tightly fisted fingers.

"We can't get through to anyone at the monastery. Or Lloyd and Nya."

 _"_ _Nya!"_

"Wait! Kai! We don't know what is happening! It could be a-"

"I don't care, its Nya! I'm going." He pulled hard on the reins as he turned towards the direction of the monastery, the dragon tossing its head before leaning against the leather straps, wings slowing and building strength, the flames curling around its glowing red body brightly.

He looked over to her, face hardened. But she could see the worry beneath the ferocity. Skylor yanked hard on her own reins, turning to face the same direction as Flame. She nodded to the fire elemental, noting the subtle drop in his shoulders as she acknowledged she was good with this.

"Okay, let's go then." She gave him a small smile before pushing her dragon back into flight, the wind pushing her hair back away from her face.

Kai gave a small, thankful nod before leaning forward, releasing all of Flame's strength and speed, quickly overtaking the smaller, graceful orange dragon as they sped towards the monastery and untold horrors, two luminous sparks streaking through the rapidly darkening sky.

* * *

The crash was soul destroying and Nya's heart cried out as she heard the impact, the dust and stones flying up and stinging as they flew up into her. She welcomed the pain, throwing her head into her hands as she slowed as she approached the ground. Nya could taste the earthy dirt and dust, the slowing, powerful wing beats stirring and swirling it up in great clouds around her as she hovered above where the two had crashed, swallowing as she prepared to open her eyes and take in the horror which awaited her.

"First Spinjitzu Master!" She jumped down from where she was, a good couple of metres above the ground but needing to dismount and get there as soon as she could.

Beneath her, sprawled out awkwardly at the epicentre of the mini dust whirlwind, a wing bent back at a horrific angle and moaning, was Lloyd's dragon. The green and gold beast was flickering, its muscles twitching as it wreathed in pain. Curled under one of its shining gold talons was Jay, who was groaning and trying to sit up unsteadily, apparently finally having regained consciousness. She sprinted to the blue ninja's side, gently helping him prop himself up against one of the larger rocks beside them.

"Stay here. Do not move." She planted a soft kiss on the freckled cheek, running a finger over the weakily smiling lips before standing and looking around. She needed to find Lloyd from where he must be hidden amongst the green energy dragon tangled mess, thinking about how he must have managed to summon the beast just before he and Jay had hit the ground.

He was probably in bad shape.

The water elemental frowned, tilting her head to one side as she looked at the creature. Something was different…

She quickly looked along the beast's shuddering body, blinking as it flickered and stuttered in front of her.

Something was very wrong here…

The wisps of energy emanating from the dragon curled around it, gold and green shining and reflecting the rapidly setting sun around them.

"There you are!" Nya hastily pushed a limp taloned toe out of her path, making her way to the unmistakable wisps of blond hair which were sticking out from under the left wing of the beast. She placed a soothing hand on the scales as she picked her way over, jumping as the dragon flickered again, reappearing with a sudden shakey jolt back into life, the curls of energy dancing around her like a sudden power surge.

A sudden _purple_ power surge.

She stopped, one hand still held against the dragon's shaking body, her breath hitching, blue eyes wide.

Since when had Lloyd's energy had any purple in it?


	31. Against The Dark

**So as season 10 finally starts to drop this little story (well I guess not so little now) becomes an AU. I hope you'll still enjoy it, there's probably another three maybe four chapters left now until it reaches the conclusion I've always had in mind...**

 **As always, thank you so much for the reviews. I truly do love reading your feedback :)**

* * *

 _ **Against the Dark**_

Her petrified mind clung to her hasty footsteps as she ran down the spiralling, roughly dug out steps leading around the mountain edge, counting as each heavy footstep landed in the dry, dusty dirt.

 _Fifty five._

 _Fifty six._

 _Fifty sev- oh!_

Ringo stumbled in the loose dirt, limbs wildly flying out as she desperately tried to regain her balance, a hand reaching forward to catch her body weight as she fell forward, gasping as she scraped an elbow against the rocky hillside beside her. Collapsing down with her chest heaving against her knees, she tried to blink away the hot tears springing in her eyes once again. She balked as she looked around her, noting the disappearing sunlight and then again as she realised how precariously close she was to the edge of the narrow little path, which no doubt led straight into the arms of the souls of the Departed Realm… The long curls swung as she shook her head and swatted at a renegade tear, gathering a fistful of the dark ringlets and shoving them up behind her ear, the blue hair underneath shining through the darker top layer of kinks and swirls.

 _I am so not ready to get up close and personal with who ever is in the departed realm right now._

The bloodcurdling scream followed by the sound of wood splintering from above had her up and running once again, not caring where she was going so long as she was _going!_ Trying not to falter, she began dodging the flying chunks and shards of wood which came crashing and tumbling around her as one of the heavy oak monastery doors tumbled down the mountainside, hitting the rocky outcrops on its journey.

"Fifty nine.

Sixty!

Sixty one…"

The numbers were now screaming out loud from her mouth as she tried to ignore the louder animalistic sounds beginning to follow her down the mountainside.

"Sixty two!

Sixty three!

Sixty…"

She paused, eying the large archway cut into the mountainside, mouthing the little sign hanging above, the lettering crudely painted and fading.

 _Rocky._

She could see more archways, more signs all hanging proudly above the roughly cut stables.

 _Shard. Wisp. Flame._

Ringo darted to the nearest one, Rocky's, her heart leaping as she noted the lock and pulled the bunch of keys Misako had thrust at her. _There must be something which could help her in here._ The keys jingled as she fumbled, apparently unable to turn a simple key now… the first one she inserted refusing to turn, the second one too big for the lock but the third one – _yes!_

Ringo's mind went into overtime as she swung the door open and scanned the large, cavernous room, pleased to see that the ninja apparently did not keep horses anymore but instead had the largest array of vehicles she had ever seen. Running a hand along the rough wall she located a switch. The light's jarred into life, illuminating the dozens of brightly coloured machines of every nature. There were bright blue pieces of what looked like a jet, what looked to be a foot to a large mech glinting under a lamp…was that a driller?

She wandered further into the engineers' Aladdin's cave, running her hand over the various metals and alloys of the vehicles, stepping carefully around pieces of what looked like a ship's hull arranged fastidiously into piles, her eyes catching on the blueprints pinned to the wall next to them; yep, definitely a boat in progress…

Tumbling rocks outside had the girl spinning, her breath hitching as she stepped back. A small gasp escaping her as she backed into something, whirling as she clutched at the motorcycle and righted it back up before it fell and created a rather noisy and brightly coloured domino effect with the others parked alongside it.

She looked at the bright white machine, taking in its curves. A bike…yes! Now one of these she could use… But where were the keys? Ringo's curls fell around her as she leant on the handlebars, seeking the ignition.

"FSM, yes!" She leapt on, immediately gunning the sleek white machine under her, thanking whoever had had the foresight to ensure all of the keys were kept with the vehicles ready.

"Ringo. Go…"

The voice was weak but still strong, pleading. And the student wasn't entirely sure if it was in her head or not… Biting her lip Ringo revved the engine, kicking off the stand as she roared out of the cave (was this the ninjas' garage?), the stones and dirt flying behind her as she leaned into the steep corner, onto the path and continuing her descent down that ominous mountain, not daring to look back to see what chaos she was finally escaping.

Trying to ignore the feeling that this was only the beginning.

* * *

"Lloyd?"

The single, whispered word hung heavily in the air as Nya stood, one arm stretched out towards the slowly stirring green clad body.

She bit her lip as she watched her hand shake, mentally scolding herself. _Get a grip girl, this is just Lloyd, your little brother._

In her mind's eye she watched Kai, drenched with water, chasing the tiny little runt of a thing Lloyd had been when he had first moved in with them all, bringing with him never ending chaos with his pranks. _Their little luminous green bogey machine._

And now he needed her help.

She strode over, the wisps of energy from the dragon thrumming around her as she stepped over the huge scaled leg and pulled back the wing which was curled partly under the green ninja. _This must have cushioned the impact; Lloyd had somehow managed to save both his and Jay's lives_.

The blond's body shook as he coughed, lifting his head up slowly and blinking at the water elemental.

"Hey there, you." Nya leaned down, smiling as she offered a hand out then gently helped him sit up. She frowned as she took in the blood clumped hair plastered to one side of his face. The huge green dragon moaned, its flanks shivering as it dragged itself up, looming over the pair. Lloyd looked up, reaching a shaky hand out and holding it against its side.

"Thank you, boy." The dragon let out a short whiny before vanishing, the residual energy sparkling in the last of the dull daylight. Nya frowned making a double take. _Was that little specks of purple again, amongst the green and gold?_ But it was too late, the energy had dissipated before she could scrutinise it further.

"Nya, I don't… I don't feel so great."

She snapped back to reality, kneeling down next to Lloyd and beginning to look him over.

"I'm not surprised, Green Bean. That was quite a landing you made there." She gently felt along his limbs, checking for breaks.

"I'm cold. Nya, it's so cold…" Pausing, she looked into those bright eyes, trying hard not to react when the green flickered, the purple briefly taking its place.

"N-Nya…?" She looked over to where Jay was propped, his eyes wide as he started to try and get to his feet.

"No, Jay, stay still." She got up, shrugging out of her uwagi and gently placing it over Lloyd's shoulders. He muttered a soft thanks through chattering teeth as he pulled it around him. Her steps back to the blue ninja were hasty as she tried to get to him before he stood but without taking her eyes from the shivering huddle on the floor, his trembles visible from where she now stood a good few metres away.

"Nya. Lloyd…he's-"

"Shhh, its okay Jay. I know. Stay still."

"But Nya, he's… he's…" They both held their breath as they watched the blond's trembles build into a more violent shudder, Nya swallowing as she heard the small yelp, forcing herself not to jump up into a defensive stance; fear was only going to make this worse. She placed a hand on Jay's shoulder, lifting her other to speak quietly into her comm device.

"Cole; Zane. I need your help."

"On the grave of the First Spinjitzu Master Nya! Where have you been? We've been trying to-"

"Cole, I do not feel it is wise to berate Nya at this moment. We must ascertain what has caused the silence from Nya first. Nya, tell us what has caused you to ignore our calls?"

"Something happened to Lloyd and he fell out of the sky; his dragon just…flickered out. But it came back in time to kind of catch both him and Jay. But guys, there's something very wrong." She whispered into the comm, not taking her eyes from the green ninja shaking under her gi jacket.

"I could really do with you here."

"Kai is on his way already." She groaned inwardly; out of all of the guys Kai was the one who really did not need to see Lloyd like this…

She watched the shaking growing stronger again, wincing. _Come on Lloyd, hold it together…_

"I think this is going to need all of us."

Cole's gentle rumbling tones warmed her slightly. "Okay Nya, we hear you. We're on our way. Where are you?"

"About three miles east of the monastery. Please be quick."

"We're coming Ny'."

* * *

Kai felt the relief washing over him like a small tsunami when his sister's name came calling over his comm link, her voice strained but there. She was there.

"Nya! Where are you? What's happened? Are you okay? Are Lloyd and Jay-"

"Will you let me get a word in?!" He couldn't help but grin, but he could hear in the tightness of her voice that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Something is happening to Lloyd." The tsunami reversed its course, dumping the emotional turmoil firmly back in his lap with a triumphant flourish. Skylor looked over, the two dragons gliding together gently in the rapidly cooling air as the sunlight said its final goodbyes to the land, leaving growing shadows in its place. Although the weather had finally stopped its icy rain onslaught and the wind had died down considerably, Kai could feel an oncoming storm. He just hoped it wasn't going to be another emotional one…

"Where are you?"

She relayed her whereabouts, a small puddle from the tsunami dripping off him as he realised they weren't far from her.

The two dragons pushed forward, desperately trying to reach their destination before those last rays were gone, fighting against the darkness.

* * *

 _Cold._

 _So cold._

 _Like snaking tendrils, curling around him, suffocating and choking…_

He could feel the darkness building in the depths of his very soul, fighting against his light, surrounding it, enveloping it.

His body shuddered again, another deep, bone jerking, painful jolt as he attempted to throw the darkness and the cold off. But it was getting harder each time.

He screwed his eyes shut, willing it away.

 _The cold…so cold…_

Soft hands, held against his cheeks. So warm.

Opening his eyes he looked into hers, filled with concern, the heat coming from them so comforting and welcoming, and…

"No, get away!"

He pushed the water elemental back, the cold welling inside of him, filling him, radiating from him and spilling out as it took hold. Through narrowed eyes he watched as she pushed herself up, raising up from where she had stumbled into a quick, perfect cat stance, her front leg poised on the ball of her foot, ready to twist and deflect any movement he made. He rose up, smiling as he embraced the cold, breathing it in. He laughed as he exhaled and noticed the arrival of another, stood alongside the dark-haired girl, mimicking her stance but his fists glowing with twisting flames. The light and warmth blistering from them both was nauseating, but this one was something else. He paused, allowing some memories to cascade through. Oh, the one called Kai. Now this could be fun.

"Lloyd."

He laughed harder, pushing his own blinkering, stuttering light down, deep, deep down. He ignited the green energy in-between his own fists, smiling as the purple laced at its edges, sharpening the power.

"What the… Nya, what's going on?"

"Kai, I think it's his oni side. It must have grown within him or something."

"Urgh, seriously?" Kai dropped his arms slightly, eying the green ninja stood before him, frowning before lifting them back up, the dancing colours of the fire echoed in his eyes.

"Lloyd, come on, fight it. The oni is only a part of you, you can fight it." The red ninja dropped his arms down, the flames disappearing as he took a step forward, slowly reaching out. "C'mon Lloyd."

Lloyd could feel the warmth fighting through, the cold inside shrinking back against it as the red ninja reached out, his eyes filled with anguish as Kai stretched out to meet him, clutching hold and pulling the blond towards that overwhelmingly warm, brightly lit body.

"Kai, no." Lloyd jumped back, doubling up in agony as the cold welled and spiked, overwhelming his senses as the darkness took control. Screams wreaked from him as his body shifted and changed, limbs stretching out, skin blackening. Kai fell back alongside Nya, his arms raised up once again, the fire from his fists illuminating fully the horror unfolding in front of them as the oni-Lloyd straightened, eyes flashing purple as he lit up his own fists with the element of creation, the green lacing with the purple as he flung the ball of energy at the stunned siblings, sending them both sprawling onto their backs heavily through the dirt.

The oni roared with laughter, raising his arms again, barely acknowledging the streak of lightning sent his way before throwing another energy ball down to the barely risen blue ninja, knocking him straight back down to the ground.

"Jay!" Kai looked up, barely recognising the form now in front of him, elaborate white swirls forming a complicated pattern across the now black skin. The blond hair was gone, replaced with a pair of black, sharply pointed horns. But the eyes were Lloyd's, flickering between the familiar green and that terrifying purple; even as the oni came and stood directly over him with his fist raised, energy pulsing from it as he leaned down with one ridiculously strong knee against Kai's heaving chest, staring straight into the red ninja's own eyes he could see the green of Lloyd in there, watching him through that ugly, twisted mask like face. Kai lit his fists, sending a quick warning streak of fire against the oni's leg. He watched dismayed as the flames just melted away, dissipating and petering out as soon as it met with the blackened, ripped gi clad skin.

"Say goodbye Kai." The oni jeered, raising his hand, the energy enveloping it growing and crackling.

"No. I know you're still there Lloyd." He could see the energy swirling and growing, the static clinging to the air around them. The oni leaned down further, hissing with malice.

"The time of the green ninja is over. Now is the time of the oni."

"No!" The Master of Fire pushed up, twisting himself up into spinjitsu and throwing the oni, Lloyd, back off of him and away. Kai landed, katana raised over him and pointed at the dark, laughing figure, flames cascading down the blade.

"You just don't get it, do you? You are nothing compared to the power of the ancients." Without warning Lloyd rushed into Kai, grabbing the katana directly and tossing it to the floor, the sharpened blade not leaving a single mark on the black skin. The oni swung a powerful leg straight into the red ninja's stomach, winding him and sending him skidding back onto the ground alongside his unconscious sister, groaning as he tried to sit back up and pull himself in-between the laughing dark figure and Nya's slumped form.

The black arms raised up again as he slowly walked up, the energy thrum growing and becoming deafening around them as it twisted and turned, the sparks lighting up their faces. Kai reached one hand out and clutched Nya's behind him, hoping she would stay unconscious so she would be spared from witnessing this.

The fire elemental closed his eyes, his mind surprisingly still as he awaited his final conclusion.


	32. Irreplacable

_**Irreplaceable**_

Skylor gritted her teeth, one hand quickly reaching out to the rock which she was pushed against, flattened out next to where Jay was awkwardly laid. She desperately tried to steady herself as she swayed, the concentration and effort taking so much out of her. The bolt of energy thrown at the blue ninja by the thing that Lloyd had become had barely missed her, forcing her to lose her concentration as she dodged the swirling green and purple orb, meaning she now had to urgently redouble her efforts to gain control.

 _"_ _Say goodbye Kai."_

She involuntarily faltered and nearly lost the connection again, but she clung on, just, managing to keep it, hanging on by a bare thread. She took a deep breath, frowning as she watched the oni through hooded eyes.

 _"_ _No. I know you're still there Lloyd."_ Good, keep him busy Kai, I'm nearly there…

Damn his mind was well guarded… Red hair swung forward as she leaned back down, eyes closing and both hands clutching at her head, sweat prickling on her forehead as she started to feel some of those walls beginning to drop…

Nearly there, I'm nearly there…

 _"_ _The time of the green ninja is over. Now is the time of the oni."_

The silver tendrils of Neuro's power eddied in front of her eyes, blocking all vision as she pushed on, deeper, relentlessly…With a sudden _pop_ and release she was in and without hesitation she forced herself completely into the mind of the green ninja/oni hybrid, crashing past and ignoring the hatred and _that endless cold_. They both screamed in unison as Lloyd dropped to the floor, the howls of pain echoing into the rapidly descending night as she finally overrode his senses. The energy ball he had created careered wildly away from its target and hurtled into the darkened sky as he collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap. She dropped down into the dirt, her exhausted mind managing to take note of the muscular black earth dragon and lithe ice dragon landing alongside them, her eyes watching the red shape slowly sit up before closing and the world turning silent and black.

* * *

It was a strangely invigorating feeling, riding at break neck speed. Once you got used to the terrifying, stomach churning feeling of impending death at every twist, turn and kicked up stone which threatened to send you tearing off the seat of the bike, that is. Ringo dare not look at the speedometer to see exactly how fast she was going, although she had no doubt that her mom would be having kittens right now if she could see her hurtling down the road, the darkness closing in around her as she got as much distance between her and the monastery as she could.

Finally her mind allowed her to brake slowly, and the student pulled over, her mind numbly watching the clouds of her panting breath as she sat on the large bike, the engine purring beneath her. After what felt like an age she dared to look behind her, staring up at the monastery, barely visible now as it peeped out from the clouds surrounding the upmost peaks of the Unclimbable Mountain.

 _So what now? What do you do now, Ringo?_

She thought back, thinking about Misako and her pleas to find the ninja. But how? Ringo looked down at the bike controls, brows furrowing as she ran a hand gently over the little dials and controls lit up on what looked to be the most complicated control panel she had ever seen on a bike. I mean, c'mon, how many knobs and buttons does a bike truly need?!

 _But there has to be some way of communicating with them on this, surely?_

She stabbed at a large red button on the left of the panel, immediately cursing and hitting it again as a shrill alarm sounded, the bike lurching and stalling.

Okay, not that one. She gunned the engine again, eyes traversing the panel once more, looking at the indecipherable symbols, waiting for one of them to stand out for her… her eyes settled on a blue switch. _That one looks important…_

Her knees gripped onto the bike tighter this time as she flicked the switch down, holding her breath and listening, hoping to hear the crackle of a radio.

What she was not expecting was for the front of the bike to lift itself off and hover above her, seeming to take the shape of a… _was that a bird?_

* * *

Zane straightened, his eyes flickering briefly and lighting up the whole area where the ninja were now gathered trying to shelter from the night and recoup. Lloyd was slumped against the tree that they had carefully propped him up against and bound him to, his black oni form terrifyingly large next to Skylor's petite frame where she sat next to him, her eyes closed and quietly concentrating as she kept his conscious sedated. They had all agreed, terrified as they were by the gradual unravelling of the day's events, to move out of the open into the edge of the woodland, sheltering for the night in the hope of being able to be better prepared for whatever the next day had in store for them.

"What is it Zane?" Cole looked over from the makeshift shelter he was hurriedly concocting from the tree canopy around them, pulling down and tugging at the lower branches, weaving them into each other to shape some kind of protection from the building cold of the night. He looked beyond where PIXAL was knelt next to a pale Jay tending his wounds, hoping to see Kai and Nya returning soon from their hunt for dry kindling for a fire; the temperatures were rapidly tumbling.

"My falcon has been activated. One moment." The bright blue eyes flickered again as the nindroid looked unseeingly into the distance, a smile finally breaking over him.

"It is Ringo; she has my bike. I will attempt to connect with her." Cole watched closely as the nindroid linked with the falcon again.

"Zane, is she okay?" The Earth ninja looked over hopefully, needing to hear some good news. The Master of Ice held up a hand, silencing his brother as he concentrated. Finally, Zane looked up, his eyes dulling back down slightly as he spoke.

"She is fine. She is not far from here; I have instructed her to follow the falcon here. I don't envisage her being longer than 30 minutes if she drives at a moderate speed."

"Did she say what has happened at the monastery?" Cole's voice was quiet, hushed.

"No, and I did not want to push her; her anxiety levels are…high." Cole nodded, eyes flicking momentarily over to the sleeping blue ninja and samurai.

"So who is this Ringo, anyway?" Cole jumped, eyes flicking from Zane to Skylor then back.

"Errr…" Cole scratched at the back of his neck, diverting his eyes and not wanting to break the ensuing awkward silence. The loud, raucous laughter tainted with a nervous edge echoed around the makeshift camp as the siblings came stumbling back, Kai nearly tripping over the trail of tinder Nya dropped into the centre of the clearing.

"The Master of Fire brings you fiiireee!" The spikey brunette grinned, distributing his armful of kindling on top of his sister's, the flame from his fist reflecting in his eyes as he blew it playfully onto the pile, but the haunted look was still visible deep within them despite the bravado.

"Right, you guys can get warm and dry now. You can thank me all late-" He looked around, the smile quickly dropping as he took in their expressions.

"What? What is it? Is it Lloyd?"

"Lloyd is fine." Kai looked over to Skylor from where she sat next to the slumbered body, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Don't worry, I've put him under deeply. He'll be out for a while. But what I want to know is, _who is this Ringo?"_ Skylor stood, fixing Kai with a hardened, emotionless expression. His eyes flicked over to Cole's without missing a beat.

"Is she okay? Have you heard from her?"

"She's fine, she's on her way here." Kai shoulders relaxed slightly as he turned towards the fire, holding out his hands towards it. The flames responded, leaning towards him as he watched them intently, hands working and manipulating them to take to the kindling fully.

"So are you going to answer the question?"

He spun round, frowning as he looked at Skylor who was now stood in front of him, waiting. He looked her up and down, raising an incredulous eyebrow.

"Are you jealous?"

His mouth dropped as she narrowed her eyes, folding her arms over her chest.

"FSM, you are."

Nya melted herself into the background, worrying herself with Jay whilst Cole surreptitiously busied himself with the tree canopy, shushing Zane and dragging him away with him as the nindroid began to interject.

"So are you going to tell me, Kai, or are you going to leave me guessing?"

"Are you _serious?_ " The two glowered at each other, the flames in the campfire flickering and building in intensity.

"Well what do you expect, Kai?"

"What do I expect?" The spiked teen cocked his head to one side, crossing his arms and leaning back on his heels, thinking out loud.

" _What do I expect…?_ Sheesh, well I don't know? What is it that you want to hear, Skylor? You want me to tell you that I ran off into the arms of the first girl I found and had some torrid love affair with her? Is that what you want to hear?"

He looked the Master of Amber up and down, his own eyes narrowing.

"Is that _really_ what you expect of me?"

Skylor's eyes glinted in the fire light, hardening as she opened her mouth to retort, but Kai stepped forward, the anger radiating from him as he unfolded his arms and gestured upwards, shrugging his shoulders.

"Or do you want me to tell you about how my girlfriend managed to torture me, near enough broke me and left me questioning everything about myself to the point I walked away from it all? Away from everyone and everything that I love?"

He paused, his voice lowering as he leaned forward, looking her directly in the eyes.

"And that girl, who you are so ridiculously jealous of, was the one who managed to get through to me and make me start to piece myself back together again."

He shook his head before spinning on his heels, moving away, looking over his shoulder before turning back, standing in front of her, his eyes wounded, voice cracking as he hissed,

"As if you think I could ever replace you."

The red ninja turned and stalked away, throwing himself into helping Cole with a large branch he was pulling on, leaving Skylor standing dejected by the campfire.


	33. By the Light of the Fire

**Bit of a longer one, thanks going out again for my awesome reviewers (you really do help keep me going!).**

 **The song in this is called "The Spinning Song", I would highly recommend looking it up as it is gorgeous (and knowing it will help see how it fits into this). You can find it on youtube if you it up.**

 **As always, I really hope you enjoy. Literally only two chapters left now, possibly three...**

* * *

 _ **By the Light of the Fire.**_

Cole looked down from where he was balanced half way up one of the larger trees, pulling down on the branch above him, teasing it free of the tree. Zane looked up and gave a soft nod of understanding as their eyes met, skilfully threading the branch Cole tossed down with the one he was holding, adding it to the growing canopy top before moving away back down to where Pix was checking over Jay's wounds.

Kai hefted himself up into the tree alongside the earth ninja, tugging roughly on another branch and pulling it down with too much force. The fire ninja let out a loud groan of exasperation as the wood snapped back out of his hands, bouncing up and showering them both with cold water droplets.

"Great. Just great."

Cole grinned, wiping a drop off the end of his nose before backflipping down out of the tree, the dizzying feeling he got from climbing being warmly replaced with the welcoming hum of the earth as his feet touched back down with the ground. He looked around the makeshift camp, noting Skylor fiddling with the cuffs of the oversized hoodie she was wearing, leaning back against the tree where Lloyd was bound. His heart lurched as his eyes paused on the dark, black skin, travelling up the lines of the taller, sharper lines of his normally small body, ending in two slight horns resting where the fluffy blond hair had once resided. The lighter patterns on his skin were quite remarkable; Cole might have considered them beautiful if he didn't feel sick to the stomach when he looked at them.

Turning away before the nausea had a chance to overcome him, he clapped the red ninja on the back, gesturing to the hole in the right of the canopy.

"Come on, let's sort that." Kai nodded, jumping back down and following his lead dutifully. They worked together silently, pulling and threading the branches they had pulled down, monotonously weaving them together into what they hoped would protect them slightly from the elements. Cole could feel the heat glowering from his brother, smouldering as he threw himself into the task.

"So do you think you may have been a little harsh?" Cole reached down for the rough wood Kai was yanking over to him, helping him guide the resisting piece into place. The brown eyes flicked up, fixing him with a harsh, incredulous look before softening and hastily looking away.

Cole watched quietly as the red ninja kneaded the heels of his hands into his eyes, rubbing at them roughly before turning away, a hand leaning against the trunk nearest to him before he sighed, turning and sliding down onto the cold, leaf covered floor, head leaning back, eyes firmly closed. Crouching down, Cole sat alongside his brother, patiently waiting.

"I've made a huge mistake, Cole."

Neither looked at the other, Kai picking up and fiddling with a discarded branch absentmindedly.

Kai looked over to Cole, frowning. "Just why would I do that? Why would I _say_ that?"

"Because you're hurting, I guess."

Kai looked up at the makeshift canopy, his chest heaving as he let out a long sigh.

Cole scooted over, placing a hand on the red gi.

"Hey, I don't know what exactly is going on between you two at the moment, but its going to be kinda messed up after… everything. You're just going to have to talk this one through with her."

Kai slowly nodded, stealing a quick look at the red head; she looked utterly miserable, arms wrapped around herself in the cold, eyes staring unseeingly at a spot just in front of her. He felt his heart falter, the wave of guilt washing over him. Damn, this was all such a horrid, nightmarish mess…

Zane and Pix suddenly caught both their attentions, and with relief he saw (well more heard) Jay sitting up, his bewildered pleads of _where in the name of the FSM am I?_ bringing a small smile to Kai's lips. Cole jumped up, brushing his hair back out of his eyes.

"I'm going to check Jay is okay. Are _you_ okay?" Kai's eyes met with the darker ones of Cole and he nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be okay."

Cole nodded, picking his way round the fire to where Jay was protesting being checked over by Zane loudly, ignoring Nya's commands to quieten down and just accept his fate. His looked over to where Skylor still sat, arms hugging her knees tightly, staring at the ground.

 _Yes, this was all one huge, hot mess._

* * *

"It is my understanding that Kai and Ringo have nothing more than a platonic relationship with each other." Skylor looked up into the shining eyes of the ice ninja.

"Really?" Her voice was low, filled with disbelief as she looked away.

"Yes." This time it was PIXAL, having made her way other and sitting down alongside her, the bright green eyes illuminating the trees around them. Lloyd's dark form seemed to suck in the light, she noted, the darkness flowing around him.

"Kai has not spoken much of their relationship, but upon monitoring it has been easy to ascertain that they care for each other, but not in a way to cause you distress or concern. They are, important, to each other, but they have not built more than a friendship." The two nindroids looked at each other, a look of pride shining through on Zane's face as he subtly nodded at the samurai, reaching out a hand and squeezing the armoured shoulder. Skylor sat up slightly, releasing her knees and looking around the campsite. Jay was cuddled up against Nya, both their faces tightly wound with concern. Cole had sat back down alongside the red ninja, who's brooding could be felt from over where she was sat despite not being able to make out his features from where he hunched next to the fire.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because we felt it imperative to try and allow you to understand their relationship more before Ringo arrives. Oh, we may have been too late." Zane straightened, looking out, his eyes sweeping the camp edge.

The sound of a motorcycle coming to a sudden skidding halt a little to the left of the camp made all of them jump, Skylor's eyes shooting up and meeting with Kai's momentarily before they both looked away quickly.

"Zane?" They heard Ringo's voice call out, the falcon appearing before them moments later, hovering above the titanium ninja before setting itself down on his arm. Kai turned and quickly sought the student out, his gasp clear as she came into view at the edge of the clearing; her clothes were torn and her normally slightly wild hair was a windswept mash of curls heralding her tear stained face. Nya reached her first, gently taking Ringo's arm and leading her to the fire and sitting her down, whispering soft words of comfort as Ringo shivered and leaned into her. Nya looked up as Kai knelt down next to them, his eyes locking with Skylor's once more before he broke the hold, wrapping his arms around the sobbing girl.

Cole sat down opposite the siblings and student, rubbing his hands over the flames and enjoying feeling the heat warming through his cold body. He looked around; Jay was sat up under the canopy but was unusually quiet. Zane had assured them that the blue ninja's injuries, now stitched and attended to as best they could out here, weren't life threatening but the lightning ninja was sure to have a thumping headache for a while. Lloyd was slumped and tied against that tree still and he did not want to even think about what was happening there. Nya was being strong outwardly, but he knew inside she was struggling. Kai and Skylor were just a mess… and Wu and Misako? Garmadon? Who knew? He sighed, looking over to where Ringo was rubbing her eyes, sniffing loudly.

"I hate to do this, Ringo, but we need to know what has happened at the monastery. Where are Sensei Wu and Misako?"

Ringo sniffed, hunching over and staring widely into the flames, her shaky voice barely audible.

"Something happened to Wu. He, he just went really strange, and shouted at us to get out." Her bottom lip trembled, eyes wide as she stared towards the water ninja where Nya was sitting herself upright.

"Ringo, honey, did he _change_?"

Curls shook as Ringo nodded, fresh sobs escaping her as her shaky hands pulled the camera straps back over her neck, fumbling and turning the camera on.

"Here." She thrust the camera into Nya's hands, looking over to Cole.

"Misako, she told me I needed to find you all and let you know what had happened." Her eyes steeled and she leaned forward. "Cole, I thought I was, I was going to-"

She stopped herself, biting down on her lip hard and fighting the urge to break down in floods of tears again. Nya's gasp brought the ninja to their feet, gathering around and looking at the small camera screen. Nya flicked the images back, showing pictures of Misako busy with the teapot, followed by a picture of their sensei.

"Look." Ringo stabbed a finger at the screen.

"Look at his eyes."

Kai leaned over, frowning.

"They're… they're purple?" Kai looked up at Zane, who nodded. They all gasped and inhaled as Nya flicked the screen forward, the blurred, dark skinned monstrosity clawing its way through the training yard sending shivers into their very souls.

"We should have got back there." Cole hung his head, not looking up as Zane shook his head, clasping his shoulder tightly.

"No, we could not have foreseen this."

"What has happened to Misako?" Jay's small, quiet voice made them jump. Nya reached out, giving the camera back to Ringo as she helped the blue ninja up to settle with them closer at the fire edge, momentarily fussing before planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"I, I don't know. She was fighting him off so that I could go. I should never have left her there alone!" The last sentence coming out as a long, high pitched wail as Ringo put her hand to her mouth.

"Is this what has happened to Lloyd? Have the oni somehow, I don't know, reactivated some ancient oni blood or something?" Kai looked to Zane, who nodded slowly.

"I believe so, Kai."

Jay looked up, one hand rubbing at the bandage wound around his head.

"Great. So we've got oni blood busy going around and reactivating, turning those we love into, into _them._ " He gestured wildly at the dark, slumbering form. "Not to mention some kind of evil smoke thing coming from FSM knows where and turning everyone else into ferocious, evil zombies… So we're minus a green ninja and our sensei, and we have no real idea of what we're up against. Not to mention a recently reincarnated and disappeared warlord Garmadon loose in amongst all of this! We are so screwed!"

"Jay, calm down, you're going to hurt yourself more." Nya rested a hand on the blue ninja's back, frowning. "Although you do kind of have a point."

"But we might have some idea of what we are up against." They all looked to where Kai was standing, following his gaze down to Skylor. The red head sighed, looking down.

"What do you want to know?"

Kai slowly moved and sat down alongside her, close but careful not to touch her, his eyes sympathetic.

"Everything."

* * *

The tale was harrowing for those that hadn't been there to hear, eliciting small winces and gasps as the story unfolded. Kai remained silent throughout, the only words he spoke a soft encouragement to _go on_ as Skylor reached the part of his torture, his eyes tightly closed as he listened, only small twitches and subtle movements of his hands betraying any emotion.

"So you didn't know his power was starting to control you, to take over?" Cole frowned, kneading his hands in his lap.

"No, not until it was too late. I thought I had it under control, that I just needed to ignore the powers until, well, I don't really know…until they sort of faded into the background? That sounds so stupid now…" Skylor hung her head down, the normally shining and flowing hair hanging in knots around her pale, drawn face.

"So, so there's loads of them? Like a whole army?"

"Yes. They were awaiting the rebuild of the power of destruction so that they can use it to…to…"

"…to destroy us?" Nya's eyes reflected the campfire flames brightly, Cole unconsciously hugging his knees a little tighter as he listened.

"Yes. They want to destroy the realm. To make it their own."

"How does Garmadon fit into this? Is he their leader?"

"No, I don't think so. It was the regrowth of the power of destruction which summoned them. When the oni side of him was resurrected I guess it kind of caught their interest."

"And Chamille? What part is she playing?" Zane fixed Skylor with his bright, unwavering eyes, listening and waiting for her answer.

"She's part oni. From what I gathered some of the original oni settlers who came looking for the First Spinjitzu Master were her relatives."

"Which explains her elemental powers… and how she has changed to an oni form like…like Lloyd." Cole swallowed, looking over at the dark oni form. They all silently watched as the beast's chest rose and fell, the breath icing as it exited his body. Skylor looked at the small horns, eyes traversing to the face which should have held the young, animated features of the green ninja; of Lloyd. Their master and their brother.

"I'm sorry I don't know where they are massing, or exactly what they are planning to do. Chamille was always very cagey with specific details like that." Zane and Cole nodded silently, Ringo pushed her glasses up on her nose and pulled her hair back from her face.

"So why me?" They all started, looking to where Kai sat with his head against the tree behind him, eyes now open and looking up at the dark night sky. He looked down slowly, meeting Skylor's gaze unblinkingly, waiting.

"I… I needed to take one of you. To try and lure Lloyd. But, but you were the easiest for me to, to take." Skylor stopped, a hand rubbing at her forehead nervously.

"Kai, you need to know that everything I felt for you, that I feel for you, was real. Up to that night when I, when I took you… I was the happiest I have ever been. And I am so sorry. For it all. For everything." Kai turned and faced her, his expression unreadable as he watched her, reading her face. The low hum of the others as they tried to melt into insignificance fading into the background as the two faced each other, Skylor still hugging her knees whilst Kai slowly twisted to face her fully.

She reached forward, taking his hands. "Kai I am so sorry."

He paused, swallowing as he looked down at her hands before he nodded softly, pulling himself up onto his feet, releasing her grip.

"Cole I think we should get some sleep. We're going to need to plan, but I'm too tired to think straight right now."

"You're right. We should take shifts to, uh, watch Lloyd. I'll go first."

They all nodded, gathering themselves into little huddles together to help keep warm. Normally they would have heaped themselves around the Master of Fire, trying to steal some of his residual heat, but they all kept a small distance tonight, all unspeakingly allowing the red ninja some space. Skylor leaned back against the trunk she shared with the oni, raising an eye at him before closing her eyes, willing sleep to come.

* * *

Cole looked around the makeshift camp, the flames lighting up the slumbering shapes around him and managing to just about beat back the darkness waiting, watching oppressively at the edges of the warm, flickering light. He momentarily wished Kai was still awake, so he could convince him to coax the fire a bit more, get it burning more and just be…larger (although he knew it wouldn't take too much to effort to coax that out of Kai). He looked around, listening to the soft snores and whimpers of his team mates, the harsher grunting and rattling of the oni slicing through him like a knife, chilling him deep in his core. Cole shook himself, blinking hard. Only another half an hour until Zane had agreed his turn.

He turned and tried to amuse himself, to get his wandering mind to think of anything other than the dark looming around him and the occasional odd noises jumping out at him in that dark, cold wood… filled with animals, and strange beings, and death and oni and-

"Urgh!" Cole got up, giving himself a mental shake. _Stop it!_ He thought to himself, harshly mentally slapping himself around the face, hearing Jay mocking him. _Get a grip rock boy._

He would sing. Yes, that would take his mind off this dark and cold and creepy night…

Cole sat, his mind flicking through his internal jukebox, stopping with a smile. Perfect.

 _"_ _Inochi wa toki no naka o_

 _Nagare nagare te_

 _Tokoshi e no kioku o_

 _Futae no rasen ni tsumugi yuku."_

He sang the lyrics soflty, keeping to the entrancing melody he just about remembered his mom singing to him, picturing her long, dark hair falling around her face as she lightly sang to him.

Kai stirred, listening.

 _"_ _Watashi wa kono uta o_

 _Utai katari te_

 _Setsuna no kioku o_

 _Hito no kokoro ni kizami yuku."_

He smiled as he heard Jay stir then join in quietly, both their voices carrying and lifting the darkness around them slightly.

 _"_ _al a re la ye_

 _Al a re la yo_

 _Al a re la ya_

 _Al a re ya…_

 _al a re la ye_

 _Al a re la yo_

 _Al a re la ya_

 _Al a re ya…"_

As both ninjas began to repeat the first verse together he felt himself listening to the words, translating the ancient language quickly in his head as they sang, barely noticing Nya and the two nindroids softly joining in with them.

 _In the short time we have to play out our lives_

 _We get swept off our feet by the calm_

 _Remaining with the memories we'll always have_

 _Spinning them into two spirals and then they fade._

 _As for me, I will sing the song of the present._

 _That's all I can do, be singing and talking._

 _I won't remember what happened at that time_

 _But its been engraved in my heart, so let me go._

He started as he felt the leaves moving gently around him, relaxing as Skylor sat down hesitantly next to him.

"Can I…?" He turned from where he lay, taking in those sorrowful eyes and the gaunt, haunted face. Which looked so sad but…hopeful. His frown relaxed as he nodded, Skylor lying down next to him, turning to face him.

"Kai, I just-"

She stopped as he placed a finger against her lips, almost wincing as he felt the dry cracks in the normally full and soft lips.

"So am I. But, but you know how I feel. How I've always felt. I don't know why I said that stuff earlier…"

"Shhh, it's okay." It was her turn to shush him, placing a cold, slightly shaky hand against his cheek. "Let's just sleep." Kai nodded, turning over and listening to the gentle singing of his brothers and sister, sighing deeply as Skylor laid her head against his shoulder. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent, seeking out and clutching hold of her hand and listening, letting the words of the song wash over him and chase out a little more of the darkness.


	34. A Torrent of Darkness

**I am so sorry it has been so long since I last updated! Do not fear this story will definitely get finished (and it is drawing so close now, kind of exciting and kind of sad, well for me anyway!). I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 _ **A Torrent of Darkness**_

The darkness was running through him, welling inside and spilling out through his pores in a cold, relentless torrent. The voices whispered, their words foreign and at the same time so familiar… they reached out and called, his body responding involuntarily and grasping for them whilst his soul recoiled. But it was growing, pressing into him, crushing him from the inside…

Lloyd's chest heaved as he took in a sudden deep gulpful of air, his lungs screaming as he exhaled and strained against the ropes binding him to the tree trunk he was apparently tied to. He tugged an arm and let out a low frustrated whimper, leaning his head back. He immediately regretted the sudden movement as his head span, reminding him of the time he and Kai had found his dad's sake collection and decided to sample each one. A small smile tugged at the corner of his cracked lips as the memory of the pair being found, laughing and rolling on the floor by his mom, played out. The smile fell just as quickly as it had appeared as the pain returned, stabbing through him, choking and winding him.

His dad.

Garmadon.

A slow trickle of blood traced down his chin as he bit down on his bottom lip, the sensation oddly stinging but lost as recent events replayed in his head, hazy and chaotic, but the image of Garmadon as he escaped from Kryptarium prison was imprinted on his mind in full, glorious technicolour, cruelly flashing before him as clear as day amongst the foggy jumble playing alongside. Chamille's mocking laughter rang out, filling his ears as it echoed and bounced around in his head before merging into a long, soul destroying scream.

An awful, haunting scream filled with pain and desperation. And he recognised it.

"Nya."

His voice cracked, the water elemental's name escaping him in a low, tear filled gurgle as the memory unfolded. It had been Nya's scream as they had plummeted, he could feel the air rushing through his hair once again as he relived the moment, his mind racing with confusion…

Lloyd's eyes sprang open and he looked down wildly, his breath hitching as he leaned forward, straining against the ropes as he took in the ripped green gi which barely covered dark, dark skin.

Dark skin which wrapped tightly around unfamiliar elongated limbs.

Which were where _his_ legs should be.

His eyes followed the swirling intricate pale patterns across those limbs, following it as it travelled up his torso. He swallowed, glad he could not see his face, or indeed reach up to feel it…

The cold washed over him again, his blood turning to a liquid ice running through his veins as he started to piece together what had happened. His body trembled and shuddered as he turned his gaze upwards, squinting in the shadowed darkness of early morning as he took in the campfire and slumbering shapes around it. His chest was heaving, each breath filling him with that crushing cold, the edges of his eyesight blurring. Lloyd gasped as the voices returned, their cruel, malicious tones becoming louder, flooding his senses with their incoherent language; only his name as they repeated it decipherable. He tried to speak, to warn the ice ninja as he rose and gently reached out to Lloyd… but what came from his mouth was that same, twisted and cruel dialect as he strained against the ropes, urgently trying to move back, to get away as Zane moved closer. The voices screamed and hollered as he desperately pushed his heels back into the dirt, toes curling and forcing the unnatural body upwards against the trunk. The skin of Lloyd's arms scraped against the rough rope as he violently twisted and pulled, the calm tones of the nindroid having no effect as he pulled and tugged, the rope biting and cutting into the black, patterned skin. An acrid stench filled the air as a cold, black sticky liquid oozed out from the wounds, the fibres beginning to burn away, each strand of the rope slowly breaking as more of the black blood flowed.

* * *

Kai jolted awake, half sitting up, one hand automatically clutched around the hilt of his katana at his side as he squinted, eyes adjusting to the dim light. He could see his breath forming in icy clouds around him, and he involuntarily shuddered at the drop in temperature. Skylor sat up alongside him, eyes alert as she met his with a silently raised an eyebrow. They both looked over to the tree at the same time, Kai leaping to his feet with a loud curse (which would have earned him a curt clip round the ear if Wu had been there), bounding over to where Zane lay in a heap next to the broken, empty ropes.

"I should never have allowed myself to sleep!" Skylor's fists curled around the frayed bindings, teeth gritted. "Is Zane okay?"

"I don't know." Kai frowned as he gently placed a hand on Zane's chest whilst he leant over, grabbing and throwing a stone at Cole's sleeping frame beside the fire.

"Ow! Hey, watcha-"

"Cole. Zane's hurt and Lloyd is gone. I'm going after him."

"What?" The Earth ninja was now up, quickly shortening the distance between himself and where Kai crouched over the unconscious nindroid.

"No Kai, wait." Cole's dark eyes widened as he took in the ropes, frowning as the red ninja straightened, katana flung into its sheath on his back, face poised as he began the movements for airjitzu.

"Wait Kai!" Cole looked up, following the red blur rising up in the dim, early morning light, shouting above the roar as the fire elemental dragon burst into life.

"There's no time Cole, we don't know how far ahead of us he is."

"But we don't know where he's going!"

"I do." They both looked to Skylor, her eyes blinking nervously. "I can feel it, in his mind. I can see where he is going."

Cole sighed, reaching a hand over tentatively. "Can you? Are you sure?"

Skylor nodded, looking up at the hovering dragon above them, Kai's anxious face peering down, tousled bed hair being further tangled by the piercing wind and movements of the winged beast.

"Then go, we'll be right behind you as soon as we can."

Her green eyes flickered over to the anxious faces of the others in their various states of awakening, PIXAL now crouched alongside Zane and running diagnostics. She took a deep breath before nodding, using a quick burst of the Master of Speed's power to run up the nearest tree, propelling herself up above the treeline before summoning her own elemental dragon, the shimmering orange fuelling into life along side the smouldering red of Flame.

"So where is he going?"

Her red hair whipped around her as she turned and faced the red ninja, her face creased with worry.

"The Spirit Coves."

"But we don't even know for certain if they exist!"

The smaller orange beast manoeuvred in front of the red one, eyes serious as she looked back at him over her shoulder.

"Oh they exist. They definitely exist."


	35. Katharsis

**This has taken a long time... I am so sorry. I've rewritten this chapter so many times, but I think it is about where I wanted it to be...**

 **The reviews etc have been amazing, and have really kept me going. A big hello and thankyou to SheaAndDove (you read the whole thing in 24 hours?! That's dedication and I am honoured you liked the story so much to do that, that's a serious amount of words!), RandomDragon2.0 (thank you for your support) and RPMShadow (hopefully this chapter will live up to the last!).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Katharsis**_

Kai watched the fast yet elegant sway of the amber elemental as she sped over the land ahead of him, her shimmering power encircling dragon and rider and pulsing as the long, graceful orange wings sent a vibrating hum around them. They had flown like this for some time, Kai following as Skylor guided them across the various landscapes; forest to desert, small villages and settlements to the edges of Ninjago City herself. But all had been alike, smothered and choked by that awful thick, black smog. The echoes of the chaos it brought with it, even in these early morning hours, had made Kai wince, screwing his eyes tight on more than one occasion as he tried to block out the screams resonating around them.

Flame tossed his head as a fresh, blood curdling scream rang out, causing Skylor to turn back and bring herself level with the red dragon, leaning over sympathetically towards Kai. Taking a breath, he reopened his eyes, looking over to where she surveyed him. Her eyes, shining but not without the pinpricks of fear haunting them, met with his as they surveyed the latest village they were passing below them, the now familiar plumes of darkness spilling out, reaching its bony, skeletal fingers into every crevice. Skylor gasped as the source of the scream emerged, Flame jostling and throwing his muscular neck up wildly as a figure emerged, crawling at the edges of the smoke. Even from this distance the horror etched over the teen's face was piercing as the black tendrils twisted around him, smothering and forcing the boy to the ground before beginning to drag him back into the darkness. Kai's reaction was instant, Skylor's reaching hand and scream of his name too slow as the fire elemental dove down, dragon tense and stretched out like an enflamed arrow as they shrieked through the air as if launched by Soul Archer himself, black tendrils reaching out towards them with evil beckoning as they advanced at speed.

Too late, the teen's hazel eyes met with Kai's as the tendrils wrapped around the young torso tighter, suddenly pulling him with a rush of smoke and a strangled, final scream into the abyss as Kai desperately leaned forward, arm outstretched as his ankles dug into the scaled flesh beneath the ninja to hold his seat, his fingers clutching at the thin, empty but horror filled cold air. The sheer fright in those hazel eyes burned onto Kai's own as he roared in frustration, pulling Flame back up sharply as the tendrils turned and reached out for him, the coldness pricking and seeping into every ounce of his being as he pushed Flame hard to reach the higher elevation of the amber dragon and master above.

The popping static of both their comms kicking in rang out through the ominous atmosphere as the two dragons once again circled each other, the red wings beating heavily.

"Kai, Skylor, what's happening?"

They both ignored the crackle of Cole's voice as the two dragons gladly brushed against each other, their great, horned heads nuzzling and blowing out snorts of hot steam at each other before recommencing their ascent to safer heights. As they levelled off Skylor turned around, the lost look on the fire ninja's face making her heart plummet back into the icy depths below. Upon reflex she reached out, placing a hand on Flame's side, the dragon's skin shuddering fleetingly under her hand as he turned his great, burning amber eyes to survey her before turning back, the long red tail swishing behind them. Kai sat bolt upright, the touch on Flame resonating through him as the warmth of her hand sent an involuntary tremble through Kai's own body, the heat coursing through him and stunting his breath.

"Sorry." she looked down meekly, quickly snatching her hand away and glaring at it, flexing the gloved fingers and squeezing the leather rein tightly.

"Kai? Skylor? Please will one of you talk to me?" A small lop sided grin lit up his face as Kai lifted up his right arm, speaking into the communicator wrapped around his wrist as he watched the blushing redhead push away from him.

"We're here Cole." The relieved sigh was audible across both communicators as Kai softly answered his team mate.

"Thank the FSM. Are you both okay?"

"Yuh, we're okay Cole, it's just a bit… bleak out here. The realm was already on its knees after the whole Sons of Garmadon fiasco..." the fire elemental's voice trailed off as he looked back down to the fiercely swirling smog beneath them, all signs of the village now swamped in the pungent, choking black.

"Lloyd is leading us to their stronghold. If we destroy that, we stop all this." Skylor turned back to face him, all swirling vibrant red hair and fierce green eyes as she manoeuvred to get into his line of sight, all hint of blush gone. The crackle of the communicators jolted them both slightly.

"Guys, does he know you are following him?"

Skylor looked down, placing a steadying hand on her dragon as another scream sent the beast tossing its head nervously.

"I'm not sure Cole. His head is confused, a jumble. Like he's caught in the depths of a deep, dark sea of water. Everything is muffled and undistinguishable. Except for the cold." She turned, frowning.

"Everything is so, so cold."

Kai swallowed, peering back down to the tendrils and shuddering before turning Flame away.

"We're about to set off behind you, we're just getting Jay sorted then we'll be on our way." Kai lifted his arm back up, hissing into the comm device.

"All of you?"

"Uh yeah. Jay is with Nya, Zane is okay now Pix has got him rebooted and I've got Ringo. We thought it was safer to stay together."

Nodding to himself Kai sighed a reluctant agreement, looking over to where Skylor hovered alongside him.

"We should go. We can't wait." She blinked under long, dark lashes, fixing him with a solid stare. "We need to go."

Kai grinned, shaking his head lightly as he gathering up the cracked leather reins, slowly looking down at the destroyed settlement below. Flame tossed up his head in anticipation.

"Music to my ears."

Snorting, Skylor raised her own eyebrow before leaning forward, long red hair ripping behind her as she turned, laughing as Kai pushed Flame into a quick dive behind her.

"Well then you'd better keep up, Fireboy."

* * *

"Is this it? Is this the Spirit Coves?"

Skylor turned, auburn hair set alight by the blazing, heavy afternoon sun behind her as she nodded.

"This is it."

Kai looked around, taking in the empty wasteland, the only things filling it being the two long dragon and rider shadows cast below them on the ground, broken up by occasional tufts of greenery sprouting between the pointed, jagged rock outcrops. They reminding Kai of scattered, giant canine teeth, or maybe great, long sharpened claws, discarded during some ancient, brutal dragon fight and now left to take root in the sandy, dry soil... They must have been travelling for at least an hour towards the twisted structures when Skylor had suddenly pulled up, her effervescent dragon's wings stretching out and billowing as they halted mid-air, Flame barrel rolling under them as they had nearly collided. He frowned.

"Doesn't really look like I imagined. And there's no-one here."

"They're here."

Kai raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Who are?"

"The oni. I can feel them, through Lloyd-" she gasped, a hand clutching her head, the dragon flickering fleetingly.

"Hey, Sky! Skylor!" Kai reached out, grasping the black jacket slung over her shoulders which barely covered the ripped and tattered tee and jeans underneath, a far cry from the usually immaculate clothing of the Master of Amber.

"Hey, stay with me." Flame butted heads softly with the orange dragon, Kai's hand finding and lightly squeezing the redhead's, his voice filled with gentle concern. "Sky… you okay?"

She looked up, a thin smile fluttering across her lips. "Yeah, I'm good. Its just… them. I can feel so much hatred coming through from them." She shivered, looking down at the rough, calloused hand clutching her own before slowly interlinking her fingers with his.

"Sky, the others won't be far behind us-"

"Yes, but we can't wait."

"What? Wait! That's my line!" Flame reared up as Skylor released her dragon, allowing herself to freefall, a cloud of sand spiralling around her as she landed, arms out and knees bent, absorbing the impact neatly. Kai took one last look around, watching the waves at the shoreline frothing and rolling as they hit the rocky outcrops before following her lead, coughing and spluttering as sand kicked up into his mouth.

"Shhh."

"Skylor I don't see-" his eyes went wide as she clasped a hand over his mouth, muffled protests teetering off as he followed her gaze to their left, around the side of one of the larger claw-like structures.

Lloyd.

The green ninja was laid out facedown on the ground, blond hair streaked and knotted with dirt but shining against the darkness of his skin. The usual messy parting was swept out of place by the two leathery black horns, only small and stubby but still horns. The ripped bottle green gi showed more of the elaborate markings on the dark skin, and was that a _tail?_ Skylor held an arm out, stopping the red ninja as he started towards his brother.

"We're not alone." She mouthed, silently nodding as she watched the amber ignite in his eyes, irises dancing with the element he commanded as he peered around her.

Watching, breath held as the long shadows around the bases of the outcrops grew.

And merged.

And began an awkward shuffling towards where the two stood.

Kai's blood ran cold, despite the rising heat within, as the shadows began to take shape in the gloom around them, the sand lifting and swirling as the wind began to pick up, whipping and biting as black plumes joined with it, manifesting into dark, horned shapes. The only lightness within them being the pinprick purple glow from their eyes.

Oni.

The more Kai's eyes searched the shadows the more he could see, chilling him to the bone as his eyes swept the barren landscape, seeing more and more of them staring straight back at him through the growing sand storm.

"So, it's time for a little beach party, huh?" His voice was tight, but the burning fist he held up lit the defiance in his eyes, Skylor standing alongside him and mirroring his stance.

"Well I say let's get this place warmed up a little! Fire!" Kai exhaled with effort as he hurled a ball of his element towards the group nearest to them, Skylor moving with him and twisting her own flames into his. They watched as the blaze climbed and engulfed the figures, waiting with baited breath as the flames twisted and enveloped their murky forms, the smoke and ash dissipated slowly…

"Hot damn." Skylor's arms dropped from her stance as sand strewn wind violently twisted and pulled the smoke and flames apart, revealing them. Kai looked across to her, his face stern and resolute but internally his heart stopping as the oni triumphantly walked through the flames, unscathed and laughing, slowly stalking towards them through the screeching, stinging wind. With a roar Kai lurched forward, throwing flames out to the advancing oni again, only for them to not even falter as they stepped through the flames.

"Cole! How far off are you?" Kai shouted into his comm, unable to stop his voice from cracking as he watched the rising figures at the edge of the storm, fists throwing out another desperate fireball alongside Skylor as she threw a bolt of lightning which bounced straight back off the snarling figures. The two quickly backed into each other as the oni advanced around them quicker, their snarls and laughter ringing around them, smoke and cold curling around them. Kai unsheathed his katana, holding it out as tendrils started to creep towards them as Skylor threw a kunai at the nearest oni, groaning in frustration as the small, deadly weapon bounced off the thick skin and landed with a dull thud in the sand. The onis' laughter grew as they walked over the blade.

"Cole! Could really do with a little help here…" Kai pulled his hood down, hissing into the comm link before swiping at a renegade tendril near his feet, notched eyebrow visibly pulling into a frown as the tendril pulled back then continued snaking towards them. He responded immediately as one of the oni lurched forward, knocking the creature back with parried blows followed by a quick roundhouse kick. With dull resignation, Kai noted that the oni was knocked back unscathed as he drew himself back against Skylor, their backs pressing tightly against each other as she threw bursts of power into the throng, a rainbow of colours and crackles surrounding them as she tried out the various elemental powers she possessed whilst he swiped and jabbed at too close oni or the relentlessly creeping plumes. The two ninja drew closer together as the oni closed in, the cold darkness stretching and reaching for them. Eerie quiet plunged around them as the oni stopped, the only sounds the swishes of the sweeping attacks of the gleaming katana keeping the tendrils at bay and the heavy breathes of the two ninja.

"Cole…?" Kai's urgent voice broke through the silence as Skylor sent another ball of power cascading out, this time a shimmering spiral of green energy, into the melee, a small groan escaping her as it disappeared, absorbed into the smoke.

"Hold tight! We're not far, about 15 minutes." Cole's voice cut through but neither red nor amber ninja responded as they stood transfixed as the sand storm suddenly turned and swathed the limp figure of Lloyd, limbs jerking and stretching as the storm picked him up and forced some kind of dark energy into his being. The rippling and screaming body convulsed held as it jolted, held aloft as purple and green energy pulsed around him.

Kai's fists lit once again as a familiar, mocking laughter echoed around them. A four-armed figure emerged from the oni swarm, the pointed teeth glinting as he stopped and sneered.

"Oh look, how touching. It's the loving couple. Fighting alongside each other once again. Wasn't so long ago she was torturing you though, was it, Red Ninja?"

Skylor could feel the hatred emanating from Kai as he curled his fists tightly around the hilt of the katana Ray had forged, the flames channelling and raging down the intricate channel carved into the middle of the sweeping, sharp blade.

"Garmadon. We've stopped you before. We can stop you again!"

"How pitiful. You seem to forget my allies." The four arms waved, hundreds of pairs of eyes glowered back but only one pair held Kai's gaze, framed by the ragged blond hair, stood alongside his father, one eye radiating the usual piercing green whilst the other glowered with purple.

"Lloyd…" Kai's strangled whisper was so quiet, so unlike the usual brash, loud Master of Fire that it stopped Skylor in her tracks.

"Oh yes, and now that my son has finally decided to embrace his true heritage, we will take this pitiful realm. Together."

"No! Lloyd! This was never who you were meant to be, I don't believe it!"

The heterochromic eyes raised up, locking with the amber streaked brown ones of his elder brother.

"You've spent so long fighting for what Wu has told you is right, you've never stopped to truly consider what your powers are. What they could be. Join us, Kai. We can use your fire." Garmadon's words hissed out, smoothing over the red ninja and reverberating in him as he closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

 _We can use your power._

"No." The spikes snapped back up as he straightened, pulling his hood back down and leaning forward as he spat the words out.

"I am more than my elemental power. I am the guardian of my element, but I am more than just fire. Wu knows this, we all know this. Lloyd knows this." Skylor watched as Kai pointed the Katana at the oni hybrid before them, the blade punctuating his words.

"And I will always use my strength to protect Ninjago from the likes of you. I will die doing so if I have to."

Skylor started, sudden realisation hitting her and sucking the air from her lungs as she turned and followed Kai's gaze to where oni Lloyd now stood, sparks of black tinged green in his fists. She dropped her stance, turning to the red clad teen alongside her, the burning katana held high above him with his weaponless hand outstretched, flames curling and rippling around his arm.

"Kai, this is not your fight." Her voice was soft, but the words rang through as his eyes snapped to hers, the flare in his eyes unmistakable as he dropped his offensive stance.

"What? On the FSM it's not."

"No. There is nothing you can do here. Kai, this…" She paused, swallowing as she looked down, unable to look at him as she spoke, sad understanding and comprehension flooding her senses.

"… I think this is what my purpose is."

Strong yet gentle hands grabbed her shoulders, whirling her towards him.

"Ha! She finally realises, the Elemental Master of Amber, the Master of Nothing, but a for pawn for others to-"

"Shut up!" The fire elemental hurled a sudden burst of flame at Garmadon, the fire fierce in his eyes as he turned back to the Master of Amber.

"Sky, what are you talking about?" She swallowed again, unable to look up or stop the welling in her eyes. A tender hand lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

"Skylor, what do you mean?"

"Think about it…no one should be able to hold as much power as I do. I've spent my whole life wondering, what is the point in me, why would the First Spinjitzu Master create an element like mine? I have no purpose, no point. Except for others to abuse me, and use my…my borrowed powers." She looked away, biting hard on her bottom lip before looking back up, eyes resolute.

"But this, I see it now… this is my point, my purpose. My _reason._ Here, right here, against these…" Swiping a quick hand at the oni Skylor turned back to Kai, her eyes lit up but glistening.

"Here, right now, your powers are useless. But if I use all of the powers I have borrowed, together, it might mean I can… I can…" She stuttered, the emotions too much as the wind whipped around them both, the fowl dark creatures and their glowing eyes advancing steadily alongside the beings that were Lloyd and Garmadon.

"You're going to use all of your powers? At once? But that's insane! Who knows what that would do to-"

Comprehension abruptly hit the red ninja and he looked sharply down at her, face creased as he leant into her, a hand behind her back and pulling her into him.

"Skylor, you can't!" His voice rose as the wind howled and thrashed around them, the sand lashing against their skin unnoticed as Kai cupped her cheek.

"You can't, Sky."

She looked up, staring straight into the most honest, soulful eyes she had ever known, smiling as she watched the flickering tendrils of fire inside them kindle as she leaned up onto her toes, arms reaching around his neck and pulling him close, his breath warming her neck.

"I have to. I'm not afraid of what I am anymore." Her voice was softly determined as she pulled back slightly, lips turning to meet his, trembling as all their love poured out in the contact whilst tears cascaded down their cheeks.

"Oh is the little power stealing elemental not afraid of her powers anymore?"

Skylor stepped forward, eyes narrowed in concentration as her hands worked a purple orb between them, the power of destruction swirling and glittering whilst amber flecks reflected in a light seeming to surround her.

"No. I understand it all now. Come on then, Garmadon, one last time. Now show me what you've got."


	36. Endings

**WARNING - contains character death (sorry!)**

* * *

 **Eeee, I'll just let you get on with reading...**

 _ **Endings**_

It was all just too much. Too bright. Too loud.

Too…? Too…

He held out a shaky, black skinned hand, turning it over and staring numbly at the shining, elongated claws which adorned the ends of his fingers. Skinny, thin fingers…

…just too much.

His skin felt tight, thick and hardened. And he could feel cold pulsing through his veins, inching into every ounce of his being.

And it was suffocating. And invigorating, all at the same time.

A burst of glittering purple landed so close to his toes (long, black toes) that he hissed, lifting his feet and shuffling slightly back from the tall, four-armed being that was stood alongside him. He looked around, cursing as another bolt of the strange energy landed close enough to make his skin tingle as the static in it fizzled out. Cocking his head to one side he watched the four-armed being, watching the mouth closely as it opened wide, displaying pointed little teeth as it bellowed a strange, chortling sound before it reached those arms and cultivated a large ball of that purple itself.

He blinked as the ball slowly span and grew, the fingers delicately and deliberately manipulating the strands of strange, pulsing light. Everything around them slowed as he watched, fascinated as the ribbons twisted around themselves, growing and shining, the hum they emitted steadily increasing and vibrating through his eardrums, racing through his core, wrapping itself around him, slowly enveloping him alongside those incessant whispering voices…

The sudden burst of flame landing beside him snapped his attention away just as the being released the energy, the reality around him abruptly spinning and making his head sway with vertigo as he looked up at the red blur stood opposite him.

"Lloyd!"

Who was Lloyd? He narrowed his eyes as the red blur began to sharpen, revealing a brown mass of hair, scarred face and a very dangerous looking sword. He stepped back, steadying his body weight in a long stance whilst his arms moved up automatically into a pose he could not remember but felt strangely familiar, his hands open and mimicking that of the four-armed guy alongside him. He slowly blinked, widening his eyes as he tried to make sense of the noises and lights around him, the whispering growing louder and more urgent. If only he could make out what they were saying…

"Lloyd…" the red dude's voice was garbled, receding into the background, fading in and out as they put their weapon back into a sheath attached to their belt, one hand reaching out. Something rushed within him, a heat cascading out through his fingertips, causing him to jump as that same energy the four-armed being had sparked between his hands flew out, except this was a dark, murky green tinged with that same purple. He jumped back, the spark snapping and burning him as it disappeared. He stared down at his outstretched hands, pupils dilated, mouth muttering alongside the voices within.

"Lloyd, it's okay…" His head whipped up as the red dude stepped forward, the energy responding immediately, coursing through him once more but this time stabilising, pulsating and glowing in-between his hands. The voices grew, their whispering louder and louder, ever louder.

The red dude stopped, one hand still stretched out, mouth moving but the words lost as the energy pulsed and crackled in-between them.

* * *

Skylor grunted, sand kicking up around her as the momentum from Garmadon's blow sent her skidding back into one of the rock formations. She quickly swiped at the sweat gathering on her brow, eyes up and searching for her target. Garmadon was there, striding forward, another burst of the power of destruction building. Summoning some of Griffin's power, the Master of Amber sprinted with ease around the back of another neighbouring crag, wishing she had had the time to learn airjitzu from the ninja before all of this had kicked off.

Her mind fleetingly went back, watching herself sparring in Wu's dojo alongside Nya, ears ringing with the clashing and scraping of their bo staffs as they jumped and span into each other… the smell of the tatami mats filled her nose as she saw Kai flinging her down to the floor during their last hand to hand training, dark brown eyes lit up as she had laughed, accepting his offer of a hand to help pull her up before she had caught him off guard and flipped him over onto his back, the dojo ringing with the laughter of the team around them…

She shook herself, eyes searching for Garmadon as she clung to the rocky peak. _Focus on the job in hand, Skylor, this is your purpose._ She just needed enough time to focus and summon as much of the powers as she could.

Looking down and finding her target, she drew a deep breath, eyes hooded as her hands worked, manipulating the shimmering orb before her, amber beginning to swirl around her.

 _"_ _Lloyd…"_

Green eyes snapped back open, looking down, not realising she was holding her breath. _Kai…_

She could see the red ninja, arm outstretched and reaching for his brother, who looked more like a wounded and fearful animal than the mighty green ninja right now. She could see the sparks of energy in the black hands, the green tainted with the purple, spinning recklessly as it grew. _No…_

"No!"

She jumped down, twisting and landing in-between the two ninja, one hand sending a huge mix of whichever powers her mind grabbed a hold of first flying into Garmadon, knocking him to his feet and scattering a wave of oni down around him like bolling alley pins. Simultaneously she reached out with her other hand, the torrent of water she released pushing the Master of Fire back and out of the path of the wildly released ball of tainted green energy.

Which hit her directly on her chest, the pain immediate, a dull scream ringing out as she collapsed face down into the rock ridden sand.

* * *

"Sky?

Skylor?

Oh no no no no no no no… Skylor. Please don't…no, Skylor. Please, please don't say…Skylor…?

…SKYLOR!"


	37. Magoa

" ** _Magoa_ – a heart breaking feeling that leaves long lasting traces, visible in gestures and facial expressions."**

* * *

 _ **Magoa**_

Kai held her close, eyes screwed tightly shut as he knelt, holding the still, lifeless body in his arms. His mind whirled with a manic mix of so many fleeting thoughts and emotions he could feel himself spiralling into hyperventilation. Breathing in her scent in a long, deliberate breath, he ran a hand through her hair, exhaling slowly as he opened his eyes. The Master of Fire did not pay heed to the encroaching oni as he laid her down, brushing a stray hair gently back into place before running his fingertips down her face, his palms brushing the lids closed over those green eyes.

Calm resolution washed over him as he stood, body twisting upwards in one swift, powerful movement as he unsheathed his katana. Fire raged down the blade, winding and flowing as it shrouded the long, glinting weapon, screaming through the air as it was thrust straight into the nearest growling oni.

* * *

Tears welled in Ringo's eyes as she watched from within the safe clutches of Samurai X as they flew into the apparent oni stronghold. Terrifying blows rang out from below where they hovered as the red figure charged, blocking and parrying oni upon oni with a ferocious intensity. She was unable to take her eyes away from the spinning figure, only mild relief sweeping her as PIXAL had dropped her discreetly away from the melee, barely acknowledging the nindroid's request that she stay put, out of view behind this strange tall rock mountain. Ringo had clutched the rocks, peering round from where she was crouched as Pix ran and joined the ninja as they jumped and span off their dragons down into the fight, landed as close to their fiery comrade as they could. She could just make out what she assumed was Lord Garmadon, only having seen him on television reports before, hurling bursts of that infamous purple energy at the ninja.

But Lloyd, where was Lloyd?

She looked around, scanning the mass of black horned figures mixed with occasional fleeting streaks of brightly coloured gis, cursing the smog which seemed to be thickening around them all as she watched, the sounds of metal screeching against metal filling the air, punctuated by the calls of the ninja as they circled closer to each other, the oni pushing back ever harder.

Her eyes suddenly latched onto it, the bright green of his gi, ripped and tattered as he crouched down next to… a body.

Ringo swallowed, dread filling her as she watched the green ninja slowly standing, turning and facing the horde before them, the red hair of the body he was stood alongside glimmering.

Her name came falling, whispered, from her lips as she watched the dark skinned, oni-ninja.

"Skylor…"

* * *

 _Did…did I do this?_

Lloyd looked down, trembling as he took in her lifeless body.

His confused eyes searched her, looking for clues, eyes lingering on the large burn smouldering on her chest.

He could still hear them, their calling to him as they fought, the cold seeping through him from them. But as he looked at the figure before him, laid down on the sand, her body growing cold, he could feel their hold beginning to lift.

The haziness filling his vision began to clear as the voices began to fade.

He staggered back, hands clamped over his ears as the noise of the battle around him filled him, the ear splitting clanging and screaming of weapons clashing, the shrill cries of Jay as he swung his nunchucks into the next oni to meet his acquaintance; the subtle but unmistakable hiss as Zane released his powers, sending a group of oni skidding into each other as he iced the floor beneath them; the swishing through the air of Cole's scythe followed by gentle thuds as oni fell around him.

And the roar of the red ninja, katana raised high as it burned, slashing and dancing dangerously as Kai charged like a loose cannon into the relentless waves of dark, black oni.

Lloyd lowered his hands, turning to face the body laid before him once more. Tears welled as he quietly murmured a small prayer to his grandfather for her as he placed a hand over hers, the purple in his eyes fading out to be replaced with a luminous, glowing green, whispering her name.

 _"_ _Skylor…"_

* * *

Ribbons filled the air around her, floating upwards with gentle gusts of air which she could not feel. Skylor slowly extended a hand in front of her, watching the delicate amber ribbon which encircled her ripple and flow, shimmering as it gently pulsed.

She looked down again, serene filling her senses as she watched the scene below from where she floated; the ribbons were beautiful, swirling and graceful in the air as they flowed out from the auras from which they emanated. From the ninja, the elemental masters.

She watched the stunning gold flecked green aura which shimmered around the green ninja with fascination, observing the ribbons of his power growing around the green ninja as he straightened over her body, releasing her hand from his as he stood. She could feel the slight heat from his touch on her, and she smiled as the long ribbons of green blew out behind him as he lit his hands, the same green pulsing around him as he charged and released the power into the oni.

She could see Cole, the ribbons of warm, comforting black speckled with orange emanating around him, turning and moving alongside Lloyd, falling back into a familiar stance with him as they joined forces together. Nya's blue tinged silver ribbons gracefully pooled around her as she landed from a quick aerial sequence, her naginata twirling around her as Jay landed alongside, the rapid, jittering blue of his aura punctuated with small sparks of bright white ribbons winding up and coiling around him as he moved. The glittering white of Zane punched through the smoke and haze enveloping the oni as he thought alongside Pix, her bright blue aura shinning out but without the powerful ribbon streams of the elemental masters.

Sadness briefly shook her calm as she took in the bright red of Kai, the ribbons swirling around him and his blinding orange aura like those of a rhythmic gymnast, the blazing streams encircling him as he continued on a relentless charge. His katana glowed brightly with the fire elemental power as he came to a standstill in front of Garmadon, the purple which whipped and coiled menacingly around the Master of Destruction sending a shiver through her. She reached a hand out, watching the amber glittering around her fingers, her own elemental powers dancing around her as she tried to summon them and send help, or at least a warning, to the Master of Fire. But nothing happened, the shimmering clouding around her like a dust of fireflies.

A glimmer of green caught her eye. It was a light, comforting green, not as luminous as the power of creation which Lloyd wielded, but a fresher, warmer and friendlier colour. And it was twisting up and softly wrapping itself around her hands, her own amber reaching out and twisting with the green tendrils from where she floated above the melee below. Skylor leant over, following the softly pulsing branches down, gasping as she found the source of this new, unfamiliar elemental power.

 _Ringo._


	38. Doki-Doki

**Aargh so there are only two more chapters now after this one and then this beast of a fic is done! As always thank you to those of you who read and a huge, warmest of hugs to those of you who review.**

* * *

 _ **Doki -Doki**_

Ringo looked up, straining her neck from where she was sprawled, trying to descretly commando crawl across the sand. She was nearly there, Skylor's body just another couple of metres or so away. She tried to find the source of the scream, frowning as she watched a streak of blue jump and knock two oni over only for them to get straight back up again and charge back at the blue ninja.

 _This was not going well…_

She felt it again, this pull within her, this suffocating desperation to get to the poor red haired girl's unmoving, lifeless form. She felt a twang as she remembered how Kai had spoken of her on that cold night in Ignacio, the way his face had lit up. That seemed like so long ago now…

Another fierce cry from the ongoing battle shattered the girl's musings and she turned back, fingers gripping onto what little vegetation there was, using it as leverage to begin her slow, awkward journey again. She just had to get over to the girl, Skylor.

She just had to.

* * *

Cole swung the scythe deeply, hurling a spitting and charging oni back into the crowd, briefly unseating them before they could charge again. He quickly looked over his shoulder, eyes locking with Lloyd's as the green ninja threw another bolt into the never ending oni assault, lips pursed as he shouted over to the earth ninja.

"We need to fall back. We need to regroup properly."

Cole nodded, noting the bright green eyes and slightly smoother skin tone of his brother, hoping this meant the oni transformation was beginning to reverse. Cole looked around him, thumping the earth hard with orange filled fists, the earth reaching out to him and responding, sending a huge rupture in the ground which unbalanced the nearest wave of black demons before him. As he stood back up he lifted his arm, quickly commanding the entire ninja team to regroup. It did not take long, soon five fighters stood alongside him, their backs to each other as they formed a tight circle, stances long and defensive as they faced the oni who grinned and snarled at them, their hook sword weapons glinting as they paused their onslaught, gathering themselves around the ninja defensive.

"Where is Kai?!" Nya's voice was slightly too high, betraying her fear as she raised her naginata higher, eyes searching. They all looked around them, desperately searching for the bright red gi.

"No!" They turned as one to face the direction the water elemental was now looking, Garmadon's unmistakable shape towering over the red ninja is they stood before each other.

"Oh might have known, of course Kai is out there facing Garmadon _alone_." Nya's stern face shut down the blue ninja immediately.

"I think we may have another problem on our hands." She snapped her attention back to Zane, who was stood, yumi bow raised and loaded, gesturing to where the sea of oni before them had parted allowing two taller ones to pass through. The horns on the bigger where so long they scraped the faces of those oni who did not move out of the way quick enough, the dark, oozing black substance which must be blood running down the sharp, antler like projections unchecked.

"My senses detect that the taller one is Kuro, who it can be ascertained is the general of this army." The white ninja shifted his yumi, the arrow pointed directly at the oni leader's head. Jay cocked his head to one side, the nunchucks swinging lightly in his hands.

"Well it looks like things could be about to get interesting."

* * *

Ringo groaned, the desperate pull to get her to Skylor making her pant with effort. She knelt before the girl now, her back to the fight behind her, hoping they would continue to not notice her. She pushed her glasses up, hand sweeping a fistful of curls back up and out of her eyes as she looked down at the girl before her. She took in the pale skin, soft little freckles dotted across her nose, the knotted but still shining thick, red hair which was pulled up into a high pony tail… and that terrible, mortal wound which smeared her torso. That desperate need pulled at Ringo again and she shot a shaking hand over the wound, gasping at the heat she could feel emanating from it. She held her hand still, palm down and hovering over the gaping, seared laceration, a strange intenseness growing like a fever through her as she stared down at it. She could feel the heat building, beginning to ebb up her fingertips, racing through her hand until it hit her wrists.

Ringo gasped, snatching her hand back and rubbing at her wrist, inspecting it closely as the burning subsided. She turned her hand over, half expecting to see seared flesh puckered up around it. But there was none. Biting her lip, Ringo frowned as she twisted the bracelet which dangled from her wrist, the one Kai had flung at her before revealing his elemental powers to her. She had meant to give him it back, as it was a beautiful, unusual metal.

 ** _Remove it._**

Ringo sat up, the sudden alien thought ripping through her mind obtrusively.

 ** _Take it off!_**

She looked at the shaking hand, the bracelet shining and reflecting the light around her. The heat began to build again, this time just the flesh which the metal touched. What on the FSM was wrong with-

 ** _Now!_**

The burning suddenly spiked and she yanked the bracelet off, dropping it onto the sand, blinking wildly as it scorched the sand around it, steam rising up.

"What on the First Spinjitzu Master's name…?" as she whispered the pulling began again, and she urgently heaved herself back over Skylor's body, her hand reaching back over the wound, this time not shaking. Eyes intense as a choking welled up inside her, some kind of force which she needed to release.

She closed her eyes and screamed as the green ribbons of energy exploded from her palm, lifting both of them high into the air as they wrapped around the Master of Amber's body.


	39. Lighting Up The Shadows

**Aargh so this is it, the penultimate chapter! Thank you so much SheaAndDove, RandomDragon2.0, RPM Shadow and Nerdeology-000, the reviews mean so much.**

 **I really, really hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

 _ **Lighting up the Shadows.**_

Kuro threw his head thrown back, revealing pointed white teeth as his cruel laughter rang out.

"Ninja, this is not about to get interesting; this is about to end. But first, you!" He stepped out from the oni swarm which was slowly closing in around the defensive team, one long, black, clawed finger pointiing at Lloyd. The green ninja held his ground, not flinching but holding the taller's gaze defiantly as the general stopped inches from where he stood. The oni around them twitched with anticipation as they inched closer around the team, the black fog looming around them and becoming chokingly thick, obscuring the dulling late afternoon light.

"You are oni. You have transformed alongside your blood brothers and sisters in this realm, and yet you stand with these lesser beings. I can see your love for them flickering through you. Its disgusting. You are weak, and yet you could be so strong." Kuro spat the words out, purple eyes narrowing with disdain. The ninja lifted their weapons higher in response, all eyes intensely watching the general as he closed in on their leader. Zane moved forward as Kuro took one, long stride, suddenly closing the gap between the two. Kuro laughed again, a sharp burst of purple from his hook sword sending the nindroid staggering back into PIXAL with the force. The swarm clamoured with laughter, their own smaller but no less dangerous hook swords scraping and clinking as they laughed and howled, the mist swirling and turning daytime to a dirty, choking night around them.

Lloyd drew his own katana, holding it in front of him, the blade reflecting the purple glow from Kuro as he grinned, a hand reaching out and swiftly grabbing the green ninja around the throat, lifting him high above him. The katana clattered to the ground beneath them, sand scattering around the ornate blade.

"You are one of us, and yet you deny your bloodline. Your blood is worth more than these false beings of the so called spinjitzu master."

Lloyd responded, working green energy quickly in-between his hands, the glow shining out in the dull light, lighting his features eerily. Kuro gave a curt laugh as he threw the teen down onto the floor.

"Have you not realised yet that these so called "Elemental Powers" are worthless against us? Just like your beloved creator from which they came."

Lloyd threw the ball of energy at the hooved feet of the army general, eyes lit up furiously as he watched the energy dissipate, swallowed by the black smog around them.

"I refuse to believe that powers born of good can do nothing against you. Together we are strong." Lloyd stood back up, looking round at the ninja. They all lit up their fists in response, the various powers glimmering desperately through the fog.

"Now!"

They threw their elemental powers at Kuro in response to Lloyd's roar, the fog briefly torn open as the bolts of energy ripped through in a blinding flash.

And were absorbed back into it, the tendrils snaking back into each other, knitting the wound closed.

Jay groaned out loud as the curtains swung back shut, the tendrils snaking back around the tall, horned figure as he turned his back on them, looking back over his shoulder mockingly as he walked away.

"Oh, well now that was quite something to see. Pity it was so, oh what's the word now… pointless?" He turned back to face them as he reached the second taller oni, their horns not as wide but still menacingly magnificent. "What would you say?"

The second oni straightened, cocking their head to one side as they fixed the ninja with a contemptuous stare.

"Pitiful."

Her voice rang out around the ninja as they stepped back against each other, weapons held steady as they prepared, eyes darting nervously to each other as they recognised Chamille's voice.

"As they have always been; pitiful."

* * *

Ringo clenched her teeth, the flow of energy cascading out of her was frightening but felt just so right. As she opened her eyes her breath hitched as she looked up, swirls of bright green energy circled her and that of the Master of Amber's body. Something made her push her hand down, pushing past the burned and tattered clothing to make contact with the cold, stiffening skin. She gasped as she did so, looking up as the world around her shifted, like the lens of her camera bringing everything into a sharpened focus. But this was a world she had not seen before.

In the corners of her eyes she could see circling and swaying ribbons of colours, but the energy above her drew all of attention. Skylor.

She inexplicably knew that this was the dead girl's soul, and she knew exactly what she needed to do.

"Back!" Ringo threw her hands up, her own green energy flowing up to the floating soul above her, wrapping themselves gently around the being and gently pulling her back down.

"It is not your time; you are still so needed here. **Back.** "

The glowing soul looked down, wide eyed, red hair floating around her shoulders as she held her fingers out, running them through the green like running water as she descended, flowing back to her body.

* * *

Skylor's chest heaved as her lungs filled with air, her body propelling her up as she coughed the carbon dioxide and sand particles back out. As the coughing subsided, she became aware of the curly haired girl's hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. She looked up, blinking in wonder at the girl in front of her.

"You… you're an elemental master."

Ringo gave a small smile, looking down.

"I don't know about that, but you are needed. And I had to do whatever…whatever I just did."

Skylor looked beyond the shy girl before her, watching the oni closing in further around her friends. Her team.

She pushed herself up, testing her footing gingerly, stretching out her arms and testing her limbs, a smile flooding her pale features, eyes lighting up.

"Yes. Its time to end this."

* * *

He had heard the command to regroup, just as he had heard the grunts and cries of oni he had swung his katana at, forcibly removing them from his path as he sought only one thing.

Garmadon.

Kai's shoulders heaved as he caught his breath, the katana heavy in his hand but feeling no less a part of him. The flame burned strong through it, cascading down its length as he slowly lifted it, pointing it directly into his foe's face.

He was dimly aware of the gathering behind him, his team standing together in the middle. Part of him ached to be stood alongside them. But a louder part of him needed to be right where he stood right now.

"You killed her."

"Hmm, technically I did not. I think you will find that was my son."

Kai's eyes blazed as he leant forward, raising the burning katana higher above his head.

"Who is under your control. I don't know how you have done all of this, but it all stems from you."

Garmadon tilted his head, smiling down at the teen, his arms crossing across his dark chest.

"And are you the one who is going to make me pay for my sins, Kai? The little red fire ninja, so like his father; hot headed and thinks of no one but himself." He unfolded his arms, gesturing to the Master of Fire before him.

"So, will it be you, Kai?"

* * *

Jay lifted his nunchucks, gripping his tabi-booted toes firmly into the ground as he eyed the army in front of him, leaning his weight forward as he swung the chained weapon slowly, electricity crackling and making his already mussed up hair stand on edge.

"Huh. Well I guess this is it then? Its been a pleasure, guys and girls."

"What, no final sarcastic remark or joke Jay?" Cole whipped his hood down, dark hair cascading out and framing his set jawline as he shifted the scythe into a ready stance.

"If indeed this is to be our final battle then it has been an honour to have fought it alongside you, my friends and comrades." The ice ninja looked around, his eyes locking with PIXAL's for a few seconds longer before he re-lifted his bow, the yumi string pulled back and tense, ready.

"There is always a way. There is always a balance between good and bad; we just need to find it." Lloyd's soft voice rang through them all, Nya squeezing his arm.

"Our powers are useless, and there's so many of them Lloyd…" as if hearing the water ninja the oni raised their weapons, the clamouring deafening as it echoed around the rock outcrops surrounding them.

Lloyd looked up, raising an energy lit hand and staring into it, the green blurred and hazy in the smog, his lips silently muttering.

"That's it!"

His hand snapped the green away as he quickly turned his head to the others, urgently whispering to the ninja and samurai around him.

"'The power to create something out of nothing.'"

"Ur, Lloyd, what?" Jay furrowed his eyebrows, sending a hiss out to the nearest oni facing him.

"What you guys always told me Wu said about that tornado of creation you guys created, before I met you."

"Down in the Underworld, yes. Where are you going with this?" Cole patted his scythe in his hand, not taking his eyes away from the crouching oni. "And could you go a little quicker?"

"That only worked because you all combined your powers. We need Kai!" Lloyd looked around him, trying to spy the red gi beyond the oni swarm just as Kuro raised his hands and clapped, a giant sphere of purple energy booming around them.

The oni released immediately, charging at the team.

"I think it might be too late, but, _Kai!"_ Jay screamed into his comm as he ran, jumping straight into the melee, the others turning and running with him.

* * *

Kai's head whipped up, Jay's cry echoing though his comm link. He turned his head, gasping as the thunderous noise of the army charging reached him. Garmadon swung, Kai's reflexes narrowly saving his arm from certain dismemberment as he tried desperately to see his friends in the snarling and roaring clashing. He parried the blows, turning and blocking over and over as he jumped back, shooting flames out with the forceful exchanges before suddenly pausing, charging at Garmadon and using a half twist of airjitzu to bring himself up, half running up Garmadon's body. His legs kicked heavily into Garmadon's shocked face. Landing a good metre or so away from the staggering Lord, he turned, shouting back over his shoulder.

"No, _I_ am not going to be the one to stop you. _We will be_."

* * *

"Jay! Lloyd! Guys, I'm here, where are you?" The red clad ninja pushed himself through the crowd, parrying blows and knocking oni back as he pushed on through, seeking out his team.

"Here, Kai! Look up!" He grinned as a quick burst of water lit the way and he pushed through, Lloyd's resolute voice cutting through the comms.

"Kai, do you see the leader? The one from the warehouse? Look north."

Kai twisted, delivering a swift roundhouse kick as he looked up in the direction Lloyd gave, frowning as he spotted the unmistakable horns.

"Yeah, got him. Jeez he's one ugly dude."

"We all need to target him, together. With our powers."

"Airjitzu? No, damn you, get off me." Kai's grin grew as he saw the top of the scythe being swung up, an oni being hurled into the air as Cole shook it.

"You read my mind. Ready?"

They all gave quick affirmations before launching themselves in spinning mini airborne tornados, each landing deftly a few metres from where Kuro stood, an assembly of large oni stood in front of him with the oni form of Chamille.

Kuro shook his head mockingly, the glowing eyes burning through the fog as he laughed.

Lloyd raised one eyebrow, turning to each of the eager team before softly commanding.

"Now."

Each elemental master reached their hands out, the powers bursting into life as they whipped through the air, twisting into each other as they joined and enveloped the laughing oni. The ninja did not release, the energy flowing from them all through gritted teeth and cries of their elemental powers.

As they released they stood together, chests heaving, shouders wracked as they looked up to check the damage they had inflicted.

The smog swirled, thickening and making them cough as it dropped like a blanket around them.

Purple eyes opened and burned through it, staring straight at them. Long, dark horns ripped through the fog, the temperature plummeting as Kuro stepped towards them.

"Its not enough! It wasn't enough…" Jay groaned from where he knelt on the floor, nunchucks laying beside him.

"You will always be enough."

They all straightened, turning to find the source of the voice, eyes widening as she walked through the fog, hands lit and surrounded by her shimmering, amber power.

Kai froze, his hands dropping to his sides as she stopped in front of him.

"You… you were…"

Skylor smiled, a hand briefly cupping his cheek before turning to face Kuro. She looked to the ninja, eyes shining brightly as she drew her hands up, amber energy shimmering and pulsing before her.

"One more time team, but this time with a little extra boost."

"Yes!"

"We've got this!"

Lloyd straightened up, moving to stand alongside Skylor before looking at his team.

"For Ninjago."

 **"** **For Ninjago!"**

As they all shouted as one they reached out, energy humming and crashing through the air as the amber pulsed out with them, each coloured energy burst growing in intensity as the amber wrapped around it, twisting and flowing, the atmosphere charged with the catalyst's force.

The tunnel of energy rippled and bulldozed into Kuro, the general knocked back from the force as the power continued to grow, strengthening wildly as it flowed over him, spreading out from him into all the other oni swarmed around them. A sudden surge swept through the merged powers, channelling into his screaming body and bursting out with an explosion of blinding light as it spread back out in a giant ring, rushing back from his exploding body towards the ninja. All sand and stone immediately fused around them into a polished, shining glass as the force burned around the elemental masters. The deafening shockwave hit a moment later, the circle of light contracting as the rock outcrops around them collapsed, shattering the glass ground into tiny fragments. As the shockwave hit the light exploded out into a blinding surge of purple, the oni exploding into clouds of purple haze which rose up into the air.

The ninja stood in the middle of the circle, some crouched, all panting. Skylor collapsed where she was, forehead resting on the shattered, polished glass ground. Kai looked up from where he was knelt, chest heaving in and out. Panting, he crawled over, stretching out and reaching for her. She startled at the touch, eyes wide as they met his before closing tightly, tears slipping down her cheeks. He managed to reach her, pulling her into him and she grasped him as they collapsed together, her tears racking her body as the rest of the team arrived at their side, kneeling and collapsing together as the purple tinged smoke slowly disappeared into the air, the early evening light warming the shadows of the glass covered landscape.


	40. Windows to the Soul

**So this is it, the final chapter! I really, really hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It became much longer than I had originally planned, (over 70,000 words, I… I just don't know how!) and I truly want to thank those of you who have reviewed as it really does spur me on.**

 **RandomDragon2.0, RPM Shadow, SheaAndDove, and so many more of you...thank you x**

 **Jaell – this is totally dedicated to you. Thank you for your support and for welcoming me into the fandom! Take care of yourself and I hope you like the ending to this.**

 **I am considering turning In Your Eyes into a manga, which no doubt I will put on my Tumblr account ( thefiresensei), so keep an eye out if you like manga style work.**

 **And of course there may be another story in the pipeline… poor Ringo deserves some more development! But that is definitely another story…**

 **Enjoy, take care and keep an eye out for random one shots as the mood takes me!**

 ***note, a kotatsu is a low wooden Japanese table frame which has a blanket or futon on it with a table top on that. They are heated and just look so amazing, I need one and can totally imagine a cold fire ninja snuggled under one constantly!**

* * *

 ** _Windows to the Soul_**

Ringo had filled them in later with what had happened to Garmadon and Chamille, apparently the Master of Form reverting very quickly to her human shape as the oni had disappeared, making her way across the shattered glass to the resurrected Lord before summoning her elemental dragon and lifting him onto it, tearing across the sky and away from them as quickly as she could.

They had all clamoured around her, curious to know how long she had powers for, what she could do with them and what was she the elemental master of? It had been Kai who had stepped in, hushing them as she had sat down amongst the glass shards, silently shaking.

Her hazel eyes were haunted as she had looked up, his hand on her shoulder as he knelt before her.

"I don't know, Kai. I don't know what this is or what I am."

He had smiled as he squeezed her shoulder, standing and offering a hand to help her up, his red gi torn and tattered from the battle, katana slung against his hip.

"A wise person once told me that you are not defined by your powers."

It was then that she knew everything would be okay.

* * *

Thankfully, Wu and Misako were fine, the latter having found a way to barricade herself from the transformed oni-Wu. Neither wanted to speak of it again, and diverted themselves instead to learning more about the new elemental master in their midst, Ringo agreeing to visit the monastery regularly at weekends and in-between university semesters.

Misako and Wu agreed it would be best to keep to themselves the discovery that Ringo's uncle, who she explained had mysteriously been missing for a while, was a Dr Saunders, and she would love if the sensei could help her look for him…

Life gradually returned to normality.

* * *

Skylor shivered and slammed the monastery door closed, flurries of snow escaping in behind her. She couldn't help but chuckle out loud as she spied him in his new favourite place.

"You know what they say, you'll catch a cold if you sleep under the kotatsu!" She grinned down, kicking off her boots and shrugging off her overcoat before shuffling over to where the sleepy-eyed red ninja huddled cosily under the heavy blanket of Wu's newest purchase, tea steaming on the table top above him. His toes poked out the other end and wiggling with freedom. Of course, he was not wearing socks, she noted, even in this cold… He stretched out his arms, beckoning to her.

"Shush you, just come and join me." His voice floated up to her, soft and deep.

The dull beat to some dodgy old 90s love song Lloyd had discovered kicked in again, the lyrics repeating themselves for what felt like the hundredth time today. Skylor giggled as she heard Jay's exasperated scream aimed at the green ninja's door questioning the need to listen to the same song on repeat _again…_ The muffled response was followed by a thud as the volume cranked up another notch.

"So, are you going to join me…?" Kai shifted slightly, the muscles moving beneath the long sleeved tee as he shuffled over, patting the space he had cleared, his trademark lopsided smile lighting up his face. Her eyes lingered on the still pink scar above his eyebrow, briefly faltering as she took in the slightly too gaunt cheeks which remained under a faint dusting of stubble.

"How can I refuse such an offer?" She smiled down, squealing as he reached up and scooped her down to him. She pressed herself against his warmth, burying her face in his neck and breathing in that charred cedar wood scent as he circled a finger absentmindedly along her arm, both silently listening to the music, content. She reached up, her fingers lightly snagging on the stubble as she stroked his cheek.

"I like this."

Kai smiled, gently kissing her hand as it brushed over his lips.

"Yeah? Well don't get too used to it; it catches on my hood so it'll be gone as soon as Sensei clears me for full duty again."

"Hmm, shame." Skylor blinked those clear green eyes drowsily, resting her head on his chest.

Kai groaned lightly as the track ended and was put back on repeat, Jay's indignant "seriously Lloyd?!" and the yelled "It's a good track!" rebuttal eliciting a small chuckle, stopping short when he caught the "and it doesn't seem to be doing Kai any harm…" trailing afterwards.

"Hey! Are you guys watching us?"

Lloyd grinned as he appeared, hopping down the stairs, smirking as he skipped past the lounge area into the kitchen, shoving a candy cane in his mouth as he grabbed several cans of soda from the fridge.

"No, but you are kinda in the middle of the communal lounge, ya know?" The end of the sentence teetered off into sniggers as the red ninja launched a cushion at the blond disappearing back up the stairs, Kai rolling his eyes as Lloyd turned round and stuck his tongue out at his brother before skipping up the last steps onto the corridor. Music blared out briefly as he reopened and slammed his door shut, the track being skipped back to the start again much to Jay's further loud dismay. Kai could not help the wistful smile, forever thankful to the First Spinjitzu Master that Lloyd's oni heritage had left no traces on him, reverting back to that pale, skinny little runt that they all loved so much. No visible traces...

Skylor looked up, Kai dropping his gaze to her in response, his warm brown eyes glittering but she could see it all; the windows to his soul. She put one hand behind his neck to pull him down. He shivered and inhaled sharply, his eyes widening, face intense as he dropped it to hers. They were so close he could feel her breath fluttering against his cheeks. She leaned up, planting a small kiss on his lips before drawing back slightly, smiling. The edges of his mouth pulled up into a soft, contented smile as he gazed back at her before gently guiding her back, his lips firmly meeting hers in a slow lingering kiss. The bright winter sun reflected off the snow through the monastery windows, lighting up and warming their faces as they gently curled into each other under the kotatsu.

…

"You see, no complaints over there!"

"Shut up Lloyd."

 **The end.**


End file.
